Simple Acts
by Tomorrow's Hero
Summary: A sequel to Answerthecall's "A Whole New World." Even in peace, pain lingers on. Having lived alone for most of his life, Jonathan Hale knows this well. But when being in the right place at the right time allows him to save an important life, the broken young man learns that the powers that be have plans for him, ones that may just grant him his happy ending after all. CANCELLED.
1. My Rescue

**Hello, everybody! Got something new for you!**

 **So this story was inspired by another writer on this site by the name of Answerthecall (a specialist in Transformers stories involving interspecies adoption, for those who don't know him), and he's something of a favorite of mine. While reading his stories, I came up with one of my own, a sequel to his _A Whole New World_ , and with his permission I'm posting it here. It's almost a year in the making, so hopefully something comes of it.**

 **The short recap that starts this chapter should explain the setting and summarize this story's predecessor, but I'd recommend you read his story if you haven't already. It'd be a nice help.**

 **And all the people coming here from _After Hours_ \- I haven't abandoned it, don't worry. I'll be juggling these two stories, and I _will_ get the hang of it.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers or its canon characters, nor do I own any of the songs used in this story, any OCs created by Answerthecall, or any of his depictions of canon characters. I do, however, own any OCs created by me, starting with Jonathan "Johnny" Hale and going onward from there.**

 **Pairings: Any from _A Whole New World_ , eventual OCxOC (Johnny and a human girl), possible eventual SmokescreenxBulkhead (I haven't decided yet)**

 **Simple Acts**

 _ **My Rescue**_

 _I watch this city burn_

 _These dreams like ashes float away_

 _Your voice I never heard,_

 _Only silence_

 _Where were you when our hearts were bleeding?_

 _Where were you? It all crashed down_

 _Never thought that you'd deceive me_

 _Where are you now?_

" _ **Let It Burn" - Red**_

 **xxXxx**

 _Thousands and thousands of years ago, Cybertron was a war-torn planet. The culprits were a powerful faction known as the Decepticons, formed by the once-renowned gladiator Megatronus (later renamed Megatron) in an effort to defy the caste system set by the planet's rulers. Their opponents were the Autobots, an opposing faction formed to stop them, led by the legendary hero Optimus Prime._

 _Cybertron was ultimately destroyed... but after the war ended with a decisive Autobot victory over Megatron, it was reborn anew – at the cost of Optimus Prime's life._

 _Years later, after the planet had been rebuilt and repopulated, it turned its attention to a new planet, one far more primitive but no less worthy of respect. One whose history had become tied to Cybertron's in ways no Cybertronian could ever have imagined._

 _Planet Earth._

 _The initial period of contact was rife with uneasiness and suspicion, but even so the two planets formed solid relations with one another, their dual civilizations intertwining to form something neither could achieve alone. In essence, they have become one._

 _About a decade after Cybertron's rebirth, the Autobot leader Ultra Magnus discovered a young boy in the Iaconian slums of Kaon. Taking a liking to the boy, Joshua, Ultra Magnus took him under his wing, eventually adopting him into his home as his own son._

 _It has been almost five years since then..._

* * *

Solus Park was beautiful when the sun set.

From the outside edge, winding pathways led park visitors all around the area, over gentle hills and underneath tree-like growths made of a strange metal strong enough to maintain shape but neither as sharp or rigid as most. Growing from these metal trees like buds were small, delicate crystals of countless shapes and colors, lightly swaying in the wind like chimes. At dawn or dusk, when the sun was in just the right position, one could see the crystals glow in an almost mystical way.

In the center of the area, where all of the pathways came together, was a statue of a tall, majestic Cybertronian wielding a mighty-looking hammer – Solus Prime herself. Water gushed from spouts around the base of the statue into a basin around it, creating a nice reflecting pool.

However, by the time Jonathan – Johnny, to a few people – arrived at the park, it was largely devoid of visitors. He could see why; the early autumn air was chillingly brisk already, but come dusk it all but drove people indoors.

That was more than fine with Johnny. He'd long grown used to being alone.

 _"...Every time I close my eyes and travel into the place at the back of my mind. It's a place..._ " Johnny sang along to the music playing through his earbuds as he walked along the pathway. Looking up at the metallic trees, he was delighted to see that he'd timed his visit perfectly, as the crystals growing from their branches were all aglow. He saw red, orange, violet, and countless other hues all around him in a festival of rainbow light. Reaching up and tapping a few crystals with a fingernail, the young man chuckled at the light tinkling sounds they produced.

Continuing along the path, Johnny at last reached the Solus statue. Gazing upwards at its silent power and glory, he pulled out his camera and took a picture. And then a few more from other angles to be sure.

There were thirteen original Primes. Each of them had a park somewhere in Iacon that honored them. Even Megatronus the Fallen and Liege Maximo, the manipulator, had theirs. Johnny never quite understood why that was, but it didn't make much of a difference to him, so he let it by.

Thirteen parks. He'd visited seven of them before this one and taken pictures of the Prime being honored there each time. Solus Prime was the eighth in this ritual. That left five.

Johnny knew that he couldn't travel to the others anytime soon. They were all scattered pretty far around, even with his bike, and the sky was getting dark. But then again, it'd taken a while for him to reach this park, and there was no one waiting for him at home. If nothing else, he could afford to spend a little more time outside.

He stole a quick look into the reflecting pool at the feet of the statue. It wasn't necessary, really – Johnny knew perfectly well what he looked like – but there was something a little bit comforting about seeing his reflection. His brown hair was windswept from the autumn gusts, laying neatly over his dull hazel eyes. His earbuds were still planted firmly in his ears, pumping out music like the fountain pumped water. Now it was some song by Coldplay that Johnny couldn't remember the name of offhand.

He smiled. Maybe his reflection was so comforting because it was constant. He could always count on it being there and being the same.

Once he'd had his fill of the view, the young man turned away and walked a short distance to a nearby bench. He sat down, pulling his jacket around himself as the wind kicked up once more, and watched the crystals' last lights die out as the sun set fully.

Solus Park really was as beautiful as he'd heard, Johnny had to admit. It would've been even nicer if he'd had somebody to come along with him. Maybe he'd ask his parents when they were home next... whenever that would be.

Johnny felt himself nod off a little, and he fell asleep, music still flowing into his ears.

…

Johnny couldn't have slept for too long before he was forcefully awoken. Something – his eyes were too tired to immediately see – had jostled the bench he was resting on, shaking him back to consciousness. It was dark out now; the sun had finished setting, stranding Johnny's half of the planet in inky blackness.

What he could make out, however, was that somebody else had sat down on the bench right next to him. He couldn't see them in the darkness, but whoever they were, they were breathing heavily. Almost gasping, really, as though they'd never tasted oxygen before. Johnny considered saying something but the right words failed to come, so he stayed silent and listened to the person's labored breathing.

After a while the mystery figure burst into a fit of coughing, one longer and more forceful than any Johnny had seen before. They capped it off with a loud, painful-sounding retch, although nothing came out.

Finally, Johnny knew he had to speak, if only to say something simple. "Are you alright?"

The shadowed figure inhaled suddenly, as though they had been unaware that it was a shared bench. In the dark, Johnny could see them turn slightly to face him. "Oh, uh... sorry. Didn't mean to-" Another coughing fit cut off their dialogue, followed by them spitting something very thick onto the pavement. The voice was absolutely male, Johnny decided at last, and fairly young sounding, too. Maybe around fifteen, the same age as Johnny.

But more importantly, the voice was raspy and deeply congested. Whoever this person was, he was very sick.

"You don't sound, good," Johnny spoke. "Do you... need help?"

The other boy took a deep, shaky breath and shivered noticeably – even in the dark, Johnny could see it. He let out a loud, low-pitched groan, and finally managed a response.

"Please."

And then he tumbled forward off the bench.

Johnny's breath caught in fear, and before he was even aware of it he'd jumped off the bench and knelt down next to the other boy. He'd fallen and landed flat on his back, and his breathing sounded weak.

"Hey, hey! Are you alright?! Did you hit- did you hurt yourself? What should I do?" Johnny shouted in a panic. This wasn't – he didn't know what to do here. What was he supposed to do?!

"Call... call my da-" The other boy started, before his voice gave out into a pained wheeze. "Phone... left pocket..."

In spite of his panic, Johnny processed those three words and quickly fished around in the dark for the indicated pocket. It didn't take long, thankfully, and he practically ripped the phone out to use it. It was one of the newer ones, the same kind Johnny had.

Now what? The kid had started to say something earlier. _Call my d..._ What started with 'd'? Doctor? Driver? Dad? Probably dad, Johnny guessed. But what would he say? He didn't even know this person, and now he was supposed to call somebody for him? What if Johnny screwed it up somehow, and this kid was left with him while he was trying to figure out what to say?

He'd have to call for an ambulance instead. He'd never done it before, but it was the option that he was most comfortable with.

"Hey," Johnny turned to the silhouette before him and nudged it gently. "I'm, gonna call 911, okay? Hang on for me."

The mystery boy groaned softly. Johnny took that to mean 'go for it.'

Switching into the phone's keypad, the young man practically hammered the three digits and raised the phone to his ear. As the dial tone rang a buzz into his ear, Johnny closed his eyes in focus.

 _Stay calm, okay? You gotta stay calm here,_ he told himself. _Talking's not your thing, but this kid's relying on you. Don't freak out. Just talk slowly, the way you always do. If you freak out, it's gonna make things a lot harder. Got it?_

" _911, what's your emergency?_ " A voice rang out from the other end of the line.

Go time.

"Okay, I'm in Solus- Solus Park," Johnny began, his voice already skipping like it sometimes did. Not a good sign. "I was hanging out here, and this other boy collapsed, in front of me. I don't... don't know what to do."

" _Can you describe the other boy's condition, sir? Is anything wrong with his breathing? Is he still conscious?_ "

"His– his breathing's weak," Johnny continued. "I don't know if- if he's still awake though. Listen, I think he's sick, or something. He was coughing a lot when I- when I met him... and his forehead's hot and clammy." Of course, Johnny had reached over and felt the boy's head to confirm this.

" _Okay, if his breathing is weak, roll him onto his side. It'll open his airway. Keep his head tilted back._ "

Johnny did so quickly, making sure to keep the boy's head supported with one hand. Just to be safe, he pulled his jacket off and draped it over the body. "Okay, he's on his side. Now what?"

" _I'll send an ambulance your way, but it won't arrive for a little while. Are the two of you alone?_ "

"Yeah."

" _Can you tell me anything about this person? Name, age, anything that doesn't seem right?_ "

Johnny strained his eyes to make out anything in the dark, but it was to no avail. "I don't know. It's too- too dark out. But I think he's about fifteen. Maybe?"

"...Hey, I'm J..."

Johnny stopped as a voice gargled out from the person he was trying to help.

" _Sir? Are you still there?_ " The operator asked after a short period.

"Oh, uh, yeah," Johnny stuttered. "I think he's trying to... say something. Hold, on a sec." He leaned in as far as he could while still keeping the boy still. "What is it?"

"My name... it's-" The boy coughed weakly, then spoke again, gathering as much strength as he could. "It's Jo... Josh. I'm... Josh Magnus."

Johnny nodded firmly and turned his attention back to the phone. "Okay, I got his name. He says- he says it's Josh Magnus."

It didn't quite sink in until he said it aloud, but the instant he did it hit him like a car.

Josh... _Magnus_. It'd been years ago, but Johnny had heard in the news about how Ultra Magnus took in a kid from the Kaon slums. He hadn't thought too much about it, other than being a little jealous, but...

Oh scrap, and this was that kid. It was stressful enough when Johnny thought this was some random person, but now things had gotten so much worse.

" _Magnus?_ " The operator spoke up. They sounded a little bit skeptical, but it was gone in an instant. " _Alright sir, the ambulance should only be a few minutes away. Keep supporting him and checking his breathing. Has there been any change in condition?_ "

"I don't think so."

" _What's your callback number? We'll need to call later for verification._ "

"Oh, I'm not using my phone," Johnny replied, growing nervous. "I borrowed his, and I... I don't know his- his number."

" _Then tell me your phone number, and find yours quickly._ "

Johnny supplied his number quickly. "I'm not at home, so I can't get to it, for a while at least."

" _You'll have to try. Let me know when you see the ambulance, and stay on the line until then, got it?_ "

"Okay," Johnny nodded. At the very least, he could do that.

* * *

The ambulance arrived about two minutes later. Whether it was an actual car or a Cybertronian, Johnny couldn't tell (not that it mattered, but he was curious). In the vehicle's flashing lights, Johnny could finally make out the boy's – Josh's – features. He looked to be a teenager of some years, as Johnny had guessed, with blonde hair and a strong-looking body.

Well, he would have looked stronger had he not been pale as a ghost and sweating profusely. Apparently, Johnny hadn't been wrong when he'd guessed Josh was sick.

A couple of humans – paramedics? – came out of the back of the ambulance and scooped up the other boy onto a gurney as Johnny watched. They didn't seem to pay him any attention, although one of them turned to him at one point and gave him an approving nod. It made him feel surprisingly good.

Before long the ambulance drove off into the night, and Johnny watched as the flashing lights gradually dimmed away into nothingness. Somewhat belatedly, he realized that he'd left his jacket wrapped around Josh. It was too bad – he'd really liked that jacket, and it was cold out tonight. All the more reason to get home quickly.

Johnny ran through the paths until he found his bike, then hopped on and started pedaling his way home. Josh was out of his hands now, and he'd done all that he could. All that was left was to hope he'd be alright.

Along the way home, Johnny couldn't help but think back on what had transpired. That kid – Josh – what was going to happen to him? He knew he couldn't have done any more than he had, but... that didn't stop him from worrying any. Sure, Josh would be taken to a hospital and taken care of, but hospitals and doctors weren't infallible. Sometimes they just couldn't make you whole again.

Johnny felt his left hand raise off of the handlebar and gently finger the side of his head, just above his left ear. It was a nervous habit, one he'd developed a long time ago and never tried to overcome.

And then there was that 911 call. He was relieved it went well, maybe even a little proud. But speaking to other people like that only reminded him of the flaws in his own speech; it was slower than most others', and riddled with pauses, repeated words, and even outright stops. He knew it wasn't his fault; talking had been a chore for Johnny for years now. His thoughts worked fine, but they had a hard time forming themselves into spoken words for him, forcing him to wait for them to convert.

The doctors called it aphasia – a relatively mild case of it, but Johnny still felt the effects. That was why he made himself talk slower, so that if he did make mistakes, it would be less like hitting a wall at running speed and more like stumbling over a rock. Much easier to recover from.

It wasn't a complete nuisance, but it was something that he couldn't control. That made it frustrating. At least he hadn't had another headache while on the call. He couldn't imagine how badly that would have gone.

Which was why, as Johnny pulled into the driveway of his home in the middle-class district of Iacon, he had no further plans for tonight than to go inside, make himself a snack, turn on some music and maybe a movie, and then fall asleep.

He wasn't that lucky, as the phone in his pocket suddenly rang. For a moment, Johnny was confused. He hadn't brought his phone along, after all. Then, as he pulled it out, his guts froze. It was _Josh's_ phone, the one he'd used to call for help. He'd forgotten to give it back.

And on the touchscreen, in thin white letters, was the word "Dad." As in Josh's dad.

As in _Ultra Magnus_.

The phone continued to ring as Johnny panicked silently. Speaking to a kid he didn't know? Easy. Speaking to a 911 operator? Harder, but he'd still pulled it off. Speaking to one of the most powerful people on Cybertron? No chance, no way. He'd just have to let it go to voice mail. The hospital would probably have already called about Josh, so Ultra Magnus must know about what had happened... right?

But Johnny knew that was flawed thinking. If Josh was really in such bad condition, his dad would've gone straight to him, right? Wasn't that how parents were supposed to act when their children were in trouble? Besides, Josh wouldn't have been able to take calls in the state he was in. So Ultra Magnus must still have been oblivious.

At a loss, Johnny stared at the phone as indecision raged inside of him. He prayed like crazy that something, _anything_ , would happen to get him out of this. There couldn't be that many rings left...

...Damn it, what was wrong with him tonight?!

He answered the call.

* * *

Ultra Magnus tried not to worry too much about his son. Josh was fifteen now, old enough to start making his own decisions without being coddled. Mistakes happened, as they always did, but Josh was a good young man and could take care of himself as needed.

Of course, that didn't stop Magnus from worrying entirely. Like any good parent would, he reasoned. But he was generally good at keeping it inside – a side effect of working within the government.

But tonight had not been a good night thus far. Josh had gone out after dinner for a walk down to Solus Park. It wasn't far away, and so Magnus had let him go with only instructions to take his phone. It had been two hours now, and Josh had neither called nor returned from his excursion. Magnus had already sent a couple of texts, but when Josh had sent no reply he'd finally allowed himself to be a little nervous. There hadn't been any incidents, Con-related or otherwise, in a long time. Had something started up again?

So finally, Ultra Magnus gave his son's cell phone a call. He wasn't sure what would happen if Josh didn't answer; it was a possibility he was terrified to even consider. When Josh picked up on the other end and uttered a simple " _Hello?_ " it was enough to make Magnus' spark leap with relief.

"Soldier, where are you?" The Autobot leader started, voice tinged lightly with anger. "Did you not receive my messages?"

" _I'm sorry is, this Ultra Magnus?_ " The voice on the other end replied. Magnus was bewildered at the response. Was his son playing some kind of trick? After he'd made him wait?

"Is this some kind of joke to you, Joshua? I've been worried!" Anger filled his voice more freely now. "Get back here now! I'd like to have some words with you."

" _What?... Oh! No, n-no, no, no! I didn't mean it like...!_ " The other person grew frantic. " _I'm not- I'm not your son! I'm not Josh, I'm Johnny!_ "

If Ultra Magnus had already been surprised before, it was nothing compared to what he felt now. And when he listened a little closer, really heard how the other voice sounded, he was blindsided by one certain truth.

This voice was not that of Joshua Magnus. He'd never heard this voice before even once. Somebody else, somebody unknown to him, had taken Josh's phone, and they had picked up his call.

He wasn't angry anymore. But he was still scared, even as he tried to keep a level head. "You... who are you? Why do you have my son's phone? Do you want something from me?"

" _No, please, please!_ " The other voice – a male voice, Magnus noted – shouted back. Magnus was stunned to hear that whoever this man was, they sounded even more afraid than him. " _I didn't hurt anybody, I just, met your son and he, he, he-_ " The voice cracked as if breaking into tears.

So Magnus moved quickly. "Sir, please calm down. I didn't mean to frighten you. Tell me what's happening. I promise to listen well," he spoke as gently as he could. This person, whatever their identity, sounded young.

" _Right, okay. Sorry about that,_ " the boy (Johnny, was it?) replied, sounding more calm but still deeply choked up. Was he actually crying? " _It's... kind of a long story._ "

...

Ultra Magnus listened patiently as the boy who called himself Johnny explained himself. Apparently, he'd gone to Solus Park before Josh had to see the crystals, and had stumbled across his son later that night. Magnus was shocked when the other boy explained Josh's condition.

" _He was, coughing a lot, and it sounded like it hurt him to... breathe. His skin was so hot and- hot and clammy, and I don't know what was wrong but he sounded, really sick._ "

"My son was sick?" Ultra Magnus asked. Primus, he'd known Josh had been feeling under the weather for a couple of days now. He hadn't expected it to escalate so swiftly. "Where is he? Is he alright?"

" _...I don't know. He collapsed in front of me._ "

"He WHAT?" Magnus roared, shooting out of his chair. He was certain it would send somebody running to check on him, but that didn't matter now. "Is he alright? Where is he?!"

" _Please, please don't yell!_ " Johnny begged. " _I... I used his phone to call- to call 911, I swear! I did everything, they said and an ambulance... ambulance came for him and took him away._ " He then added, as an afterthought " _You might be getting a- a call about that soon._ "

Magnus ran what he'd been told through his processor, over and over again. Slowly, he felt himself grow a little calmer. But only a little – this was nothing to sneeze at. "So..." He breathed. "My son is in the hospital."

" _I'm sorry I scared you. I swear I, didn't mean to take his phone._ "

"Sorry? Young man, you have no reason to be sorry." As Ultra Magnus spoke those words, he felt a deep gratitude bloom within his spark and a genuine smile forming. "My son is a stranger to you, but you still helped him. He may very well be alive because of you. I assure you, with all that I am, that I'm very, very grateful for what you've done."

" _...What, really?_ " Johnny stammered. " _You, you're... thanking me?_ "

"Is there any reason I shouldn't?"

" _No, I'm- I'm just not used to it is all._ "

Magnus briefly considered asking what the boy meant by that, but he ultimately chose not to pry. "Very well. Now, you said your name was Johnny, correct?"

 _"Yeah. It's Jonathan, actually,_ " he corrected. After a pause, he added more. " _...Jonathan Hale._ "

The Autobot nodded. "Jonathan Hale. I will remember that name. Thank you for what you've done tonight."

" _Hang on, what about your kid's phone?_ " Johnny piped up suddenly.

Ah, right. He'd almost forgotten about that. "I can send somebody to pick it up once my son has recovered some. Would that be alright with you?"

" _Oh, uh... I guess so,_ " the boy conceded. _"Bye, then?"_

And then he hung up.

Magnus closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair, waiting for the hospital to call. Of course, half of him was worried beyond belief. All those times he'd been in the hospital... he'd never realized how Josh must have felt waiting in limbo for him. It wasn't a mistake he intended to make again.

The other half still brimmed with joy and gratitude toward the person who'd saved his son.

Jonathan Hale, was it? He wouldn't forget that name anytime soon.

 **This is gonna be a bit of a slow story, at least at first. Just that I'd throw that out there.**

 **Still, if you won't give up, then neither will I.**

 **Tomorrow's Hero, signing out.**


	2. My Welcoming

**And here's the second chapter!**

 **Simple Acts**

 _ **My Welcoming**_

 _Give me your hands_

 _Show me the door_

 _I cannot stand_

 _To wait anymore_

" _ **At Least It Was Here" - The 88**_

 **xxXxx**

The front door unlocked with an audible click, and Johnny pushed it open into the unlit foyer. "I'm home from school!" He shouted.

There was no response. There rarely ever was, but that never stopped him from hoping. The young man man flicked the light switch on with a sigh and walked into the living room, tossing his jacket and backpack onto the couch and then collapsing onto it in turn.

Johnny's feelings on his domicile were mixed. Not that it was bad-looking or unappealing – Johnny's parents may have always been away on business, but they'd made sure that he would have a nice place to live in the meantime. The walls were brightly painted in largely earthy colors, shades of green, brown, and yellow, and paintings and pictures of natural scenes from planet Earth hung from them. It had two floors, both of which were well-furnished and fairly spacious, and there was always food in the pantry.

Johnny had no real frame of reference, but personally he thought his house was a nice place. It felt like a cocoon, someplace safe that he could retreat to when necessary. A big, hollow cocoon...

He forced himself not to think about it. He'd done plenty of that in the past, and his crying never changed anything. Instead, he wound up thinking about Josh. It had been almost a week since Johnny had run into the boy – last Wednesday, and today was Tuesday – and Johnny had been worried about him ever since. Thankfully, there'd been mention in the news about the incident; Josh was stable and recovering just fine. Not only that, but Johnny's identity had been conveniently kept out of the story; according to the official report, the 911 call had been made by a "mystery person." There was still some speculation, both on TV and on the Web, but so far Johnny had been spared the public eye. He wasn't sure why he hadn't been mentioned – perhaps Ultra Magnus or Josh had requested it – but it was a bit of good news, and Johnny welcomed it.

An Autobot had stopped by a couple of days ago to pick up Josh's phone, the one Johnny had kept safe until then, and he'd passed on a bit of news as well. Evidently, Ultra Magnus hadn't been satisfied with simply thanking Johnny over the phone – he wanted to thank him in person as well, and to that end, he'd gone so far as to invite Johnny to his estate.

Johnny was intimidated at the proposition; why on Cybertron would one of the most powerful figures alive want to talk to him? He hadn't done anything extraordinary, just dialed the hospital for somebody who needed it. He certainly wasn't fit to meet Ultra Magnus himself. What would the man think when he saw that the person who saved his son was just a nervous, messed up fifteen-year-old?

And Johnny would have refused, if not for the fact that Josh wanted to meet him as well. He couldn't explain it in words, but something inside of Johnny really, truly wished to meet that boy again, if only to see that he would be alright. Maybe he even wanted to befriend him. Johnny hadn't tried to befriend anybody in the longest time, but wouldn't Josh be a great place to try again? A pipe dream, for sure, but there was still a persistent sliver of hope inside of him that insisted otherwise.

So Johnny accepted the offer, if still reluctantly, and was left to wait until Tuesday.

In other words, today.

The thought made insecurity bubble up within him once again, even as he struggled to force it back down. Even if he did manage to get himself excited, he had no idea who or what to expect, or even when he would be expected. The Autobot had mentioned briefly that somebody would stop by for Johnny in the afternoon, but he'd neglected to mentioned a specific time. It was about five minutes to three now.

Johnny walked over to the TV set up on the wall and turned one of his game consoles, switching over to Netflix. If he didn't know what time, he'd just have to wait, and why wait in silence when he could be catching up on _Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D._?

* * *

 _DING-DONG!_

"Hey, is Jonathan Hale here?"

Johnny had just finished his second episode when he heard the doorbell and the voice ring through the front door. He gulped. No going back now.

He stood up, offhandedly grabbing his jacket and slinging it on, then walked slowly over to the front door. Placing his hand on the doorknob, Johnny could feel his heartbeat pounding an allegro beat in his chest. Taking one final breath, he wrenched the doorknob tightly and pulled the door open.

He was met with a Cybertronian crouched down on his front lawn, finger extended toward the doorbell as if to ring it again. The sight was so ridiculous, to Johnny at least, that he almost laughed. Instead, he simply gave his visitor a once-over. They were definitely an Autobot, as evidenced by the red insignia on their chest and their electric blue optics. They had dark blue plating with yellow and white stripes, and a silver faceplate that presently bore a friendly smile.

"I take it you like what you see?" The Autobot chuckled.

Johnny could feel himself tense up instantly. "Oh, I'm sor-sorry," he stammered. "I didn't mean to- I was, just thinking about-"

"Hey, hey, calm down, kid!" The Autobot held his hands out and spoke gently, face shifting into a worried mask. "I wasn't putting you on the spot or anything. Just kidding around a little."

"Oh! Uh, alright," Johnny muttered. Great, he'd only just begun and he was already off to a bad start. His hand began to lift up toward his head again, but Johnny mentally forced it back down. He couldn't let his nerves take over, not today. "So, are you my... uh, my escort?"

"That depends," the Autobot responded. "Are you Jonathan Hale?"

Johnny nodded after a brief hesitation. "I prefer Johnny, but yeah."

The Autobot let out some mixture of a sigh and a laugh. "Oh, thank the AllSpark for that! I'm running late enough as it is!" He stood up, giving Johnny a full view of his height. "Come on, shake a leg. We've got people waiting!" Stepping into the road, the Autobot transformed before Johnny's amazed eyes. Within seconds, the robot had been replaced with a similarly colored sports car, whose passenger door then popped open invitingly. The young man walked toward his escort briskly, chest filling with both his usual nervousness and a growing flicker of excitement.

He slid into the passenger seat and pulled the door closed before buckling up. "Ready to head out, Johnny?" The Autobot's voice came through the radio. The young man nodded. "Good. It's about twenty minutes from here, so just sit back and relax. Name's Smokescreen, by the way."

"Okay, got it," Johnny replied. "Thanks, Mr. Smokescreen."

"Hey, no 'misters' for me, okay?" Smokescreen laughed. "I'm not that old! Just Smokescreen's fine."

"Oh, sorry," Johnny said, smiling slightly. "Hey, do you, have any music?"

"Radio's all yours, if you want it."

And Johnny didn't need to be told twice. He fiddled around a little until he found a classic rock station he enjoyed, then laid back in his seat as the songs wafted through the car. Nothing to do now but wait until he reached the lion's den.

* * *

Johnny's jaw dropped shamelessly at the sight of Ultra Magnus' estate. It didn't occupy the land so much as it towered over it, a titan of metal and glass easily three stories high stretched over at least an acre of land. Compared to his house, it was practically a palace.

"Whoa... they – they live _here_?" He gasped in disbelief. He'd seen pictures of houses like this, but in person it something else entirely.

"Yep. Nice place, huh?" Smokescreen quipped, transforming back into his giant robot form. "Come on, buddy. No point in turning back now." The two walked side by side up to the front door, and Smokescreen shoved it open and ushered Johnny inside. The inside of the mansion was just as massive and extravagant as the outside, with expensive-looking furniture and paintings as far as the eye could see.

Johnny didn't know where to look – there seemed to be something new and even more amazing every time he turned his head. "This place is, is..." He fumbled about for the right word. "It's huge! You could, could get lost in here!"

"Oh, people have," Smokescreen laughed. Johnny shot him a bewildered look. "No, seriously, it's happened before. Fortunately, you just so happen to have an escort who knows this place like the back of his hand. This way, if you would." He finished proudly before beginning down a hallway, forcing Johnny to follow.

"Do you, uh, live here?" Johnny asked.

Smokescreen laughed again. "I wish! I just work here. I'm the night guard, actually. I make sure nobody gets in or out of here who shouldn't. Gives me a lot of practice with these hallways."

"In, I get, but out?"

Smokescreen's face twisted into something Johnny couldn't quite recognize. "Josh, uh, used to try and run away when he was younger. I don't think he or Magnus be happy with me talking about it too much." Apparently that was all Smokescreen was willing to say on the matter, because he clammed up once he'd finished speaking.

The resulting silence made Johnny feel deeply uncomfortable, so he forced himself to keep talking. "...Right. So, Josh and Mr. Magnus wanted to, thank me. That's why, why I'm here, right?"

Smokescreen nodded. "They're not the only ones. Josh actually has quite a few friends who're itching to meet you." He turned to beam downward at the human walking beside him. "Like me."

Johnny turned up to Smokescreen with widened eyes, and the Autobot chuckled. "Hey, don't look so surprised. It's why I volunteered to pick you up. I wouldn't miss the chance to meet the guy who saved my best friend!"

The human looked confused. "Really? You'd do that, for me?"

"Why wouldn't I? Doesn't cost me anything."

"It costs time," Johnny retorted gently.

"But it's time well spent," Smokescreen countered, and Johnny fell silent. In his spark, Smokescreen felt a little confused himself. He'd expected the boy to be flattered that people wanted to meet him so badly. Instead he'd looked like... like he didn't understand the concept. Maybe he'd ask about it later, when he got the chance.

"Are... are we almost there?" Johnny spoke up after a while, just as they began ascending another staircase.

"Yeah, almost," came the answer. Indeed, within a couple more minutes Smokescreen came to a stop next to a door. "Here we are. Gimme a second," The Autobot instructed the young man, and then rapped lightly against it. "Hey, Josh, it's Smokescreen! I'm back with Johnny!"

"Awesome! Come on in," a voice, young but cheerful-sounding, called from beyond the door. The Autobot turned to his guest and beckoned with one hand.

"After you, little buddy."

Johnny stepped inside obediently, and when he saw the interior of the room he couldn't help but stare. "Whoa..." This room – a bedroom – was gigantic! It had to be twice the size of his own, at least. The walls were painted in soft gray and blue hues and adorned with all sorts of posters and pictures of people Johnny didn't recognize. There was a TV hanging from the far wall with a few game systems hooked up to it, a desk positioned nearby, and a number of bookshelves scattered around the perimeter. It was so different from Johnny's bedroom; it was full, whereas his was a bit empty.

"Looks good, doesn't it?"

The sudden, new voice caught Johnny off guard, and he yelped loudly and stumbled around in an effort to find the source. Twisting around, he saw a bed, sturdily built of wood and fitted in soft-looking blue sheets. Laying in those sheets – and looking quite taken aback – was a familiar young man.

"Whoa, it's okay! It's okay. It's just me," Josh spoke, holding his hands up in front of him to placate his frightened guest. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you."

At that, Johnny felt the tension start to flow out of his body. "Oh... no, I'm sorry," he replied, still a little frazzled. "I'm not – not really used to... to..." Johnny trailed off, snapping his fingers in a vain attempt to expedite his brain. Josh continued to watch, somewhat concerned.

After a few seconds, Johnny forced himself to start over. "...I'm not really used to, um, other people," he finally finished. "You're Josh, right?"

"...Yeah, that's me," Josh nodded, allowing the change in topic to Johnny's relief. "I take it you're Jonathan. Hang on – Smokes called you Johnny, do you prefer that?"

"Greatly," Johnny nodded, then fell silent, unsure of how to continue. Eventually, he forced himself to keep talking, to fill the void. "You look... not pale now."

Josh snorted, clearly amused. "Yeah, thanks! First couple of days I looked like scrap, felt like it too. But I got better really quickly after my fever broke, and Doc Knock cleared me to come home yesterday. Dad's making me stay in bed for a little while longer though, but I got plenty to do and my friends have been visiting a lot, so at least I'm not bored."

"That's – that's nice," Johnny said. It was interesting, looking at Josh now as opposed to when he was half-out of it on the pavement. His skin, once white as a ghost, now showed its natural tan, and his face and musculature made him look much more tough than when he was ill. "I'm just glad, you're alright."

"Well, I can't take credit for that," Josh replied, looking at Johnny with gratitude and – was that respect? "Seriously, if you hadn't been around the park when you were, I could've died there, and no one would have known until it was too late."

Johnny's eyes widened. "Really? I'm sure someone would have come..."

"Yeah, well they didn't. You did. I'm here cause of _you_." Josh sat up to look the other boy in the eye. "I owe you one, Johnny. A _huge_ one."

Johnny had no idea how to react to that. He'd occasionally helped out other people in the past, but never like this. Never saving somebody's life. Besides, he'd done something good for this person, and now they were doing something good for him. Shouldn't that have been it? Were they not even now? Did he have some kind of life debt over this guy now? Was that how these things worked?

The whole thing was hurting his head, so he decided to change the subject. "So, um-" Johnny cleared his throat. "Josh, didn't Mr. Magnus – your dad want... want to thank me too? Where is he?"

"Oh, he's still at work," Josh answered simply. "He wanted to be here when you came around, but some stuff came up. He said he'd definitely be back before dinner though, so you'll catch him if you stick around here. Is that okay with you?"

"Uh, yeah. Sure. What do we do, until then?"

"I've got plenty of games to play," Josh answered. Then he grinned. "You like _Smash Bros_?"

"Which one?"

"The newest one," Josh replied. "You like that one?"

"I – I play it frequently," Johnny said, starting to feel more comfortable. Of course, he didn't really play with other people, but...

"I've got all the characters and stages, even the DLC."

"...Can I make some customizations?" Johnny asked.

"Sure, why not?" Josh shrugged. "Oh, hang on a second." He turned to face his bedroom door, cupping a hand around his mouth. "Hey, Smokescreen! If you're out there, we're gonna Smash! You want in?"

Almost instantly, Smokescreen leaned into the room. "When would I not? Let's get it on!"

"Wait, wait, hang on," Johnny interrupted suddenly. "Isn't he... isn't he a little too – too big to play?"

Smokescreen simply smiled. "Not for long."

Suddenly, some of Smokescreen's plating opened up, releasing a strange haze of... something. Before Johnny's bewildered eyes, the haze shaped itself into a humanoid form. When its configuration was complete, a shell of blue light wrapped around the form, creating details such as clothes, eyes, and even hair. At last, the light changed color, revealing a tall, white-haired man dressed in black pants and a blue jacket with yellow trim.

"That oughta do it," the man spoke, in Smokescreen's voice. "How do I look?"

"Great as always, Smokes," Josh chuckled.

"No way... is that – is that a holoform?" Johnny gasped. He slid forward to get a closer look. "Nanomachines wrapped, in a holographic shell," Johnny mumbled softly to himself, then stated more loudly, "I've never seen one, not up close."

"Well, I'm honored to be your first," Smokescreen smiled. "So... Smash?"

...

" _The winner is... Shulk!_ " The announcer called as the Monado-wielding Homs struck a victorious pose on the screen. Off to the side, Ryu and Lucas (played by Josh and Smokescreen, respectively) clapped in consolation.

"Whoa, third win in a row!" Smokescreen exclaimed, looking admirably at his new human friend. "You've got a streak going, Johnny!"

"It's that damn Vision," Josh grumbled slightly. "I keep attacking into it."

"Try using more regular attacks," Johnny suggested. "They come out, uh, a little faster than Ryu's spe – specials. Harder to read."

Josh nodded after a moment of consideration. "Yeah, I'll try that. Thanks, man." The three started up another fight, and in the middle of it Josh spoke up again. "You said you play this game a lot?"

"It's not my favorite, but yeah," Johnny replied. "My favorite game is, it's _Splatoon_."

"I have that game," Josh said. "I don't play it a whole lot, but it's fun when I do."

"I've played it too," Smokescreen added. "I like using the Roller."

"I prefer the Blaster," Johnny admitted. "I like its, damage and spreading power."

"If you guys want, we could play it after this round," Josh offered. "Take turns playing online."

"Sounds good to me," Smokescreen grinned.

"Really? Is that okay?" Johnny asked, receiving an odd look from Josh.

"Why wouldn't it be?" Josh responded. "I _did_ offer, remember?"

"But I don't... never mind," Johnny started, then stopped himself. "Sounds fun."

Josh and Smokescreen exchanged glances, but said nothing further. If Johnny wasn't in the mood to speak, they weren't about to pressure him.

Even though they were both certain that something was wrong with him.

...

An hour or so later, the three had moved on from _Smash Bros_ and were busy making a inky mess. As the most experienced _Splatoon_ player, Johnny was the best by far, but Josh and Smokescreen held their own as well, and none of them won every game.

Case in point, Josh had just finished a Turf War on Blackbelly Skatepark that ended in a crushing defeat. "That didn't go well," Johnny commented to the smoldering blonde.

"Yeah, it didn't!" Smokescreen laughed. "Remember when he super jumped straight into an Inkstrike? That was great!"

"Hey, your turn's coming up," Josh replied, passing the Gamepad to Johnny. "I'd like to see you do better, Smokes."

"Oh, I'll gladly show you how it's done," Smokescreen smirked.

"You three seem to be enjoying yourselves."

A sudden, deep voice caused Josh and Smokescreen to look up joyfully whilst Johnny's nerves flared up again. He recognized that voice.

Standing in the doorway, sporting an amused smile, was an Autobot that Johnny had never met in person but had seen on TV and in the occasional magazine and news article. He was just as tall and powerfully-built in person as he was on camera, radiating an air of sheer authority and control. It was honestly strange, seeing a smile on his face, but in person it seemed to fit very well.

Smokescreen and Josh spoke up simultaneously. "Welcome home, sir." "Hey, Dad!"

"Hello, soldier. You feeling well?" Magnus walked over to Josh's bedside and knelt down next to him with a surprising gentleness.

"Actually, yeah. A lot better," Josh nodded, and his father seemed relieved. "I've just been hanging out with Smokescreen and Johnny for the past couple hours. Nothing strenuous."

"I'm glad to hear that." Magnus then looked up and scanned the room, optics finally settling on Johnny. "As for you, youngling, you must be Jonathan. It's wonderful to meet you."

"...You too," Johnny eked out, his voice barely audible.

"I'm sorry?" Magnus asked, leaning in closer. Johnny felt himself lock up under the Autobot's gaze, and his own eyes fell toward the floor.

"I said... I said it's - it's nice to, to, to meet you too." He forced himself to speak, and the words tumbled out in a stammer. His hand raised up toward his head once more, and this time he didn't stop it. Damn it, why did he have to be so _scared_?

"Uh, no offense, but I think you're freaking him out, boss," Smokescreen cut in suddenly. Johnny turned toward him in surprise, and the Autobot gave him a firm nod.

"Yeah, don't be scared, Johnny," Josh reassured the boy in soft tones. "My dad's a great guy. He's not gonna hurt you, not after what you did."

Their words penetrated Johnny's frightened shell and mollified him slightly. He was still scared, no doubt about it, but the fact that they'd come to his aid like that... it felt good. And it made him feel stronger.

Johnny took a few deep breaths and turned to face Ultra Magnus head-on, allowing his hand to drop. "It's nice, to meet you too." The words came easier that time; not perfectly, but well enough to satisfy him.

Apparently, Magnus was delighted as well, for Johnny could see some of the tension leave his face, replaced by... something he couldn't make out. "I apologize for not being here when you arrived, young man. I have an... unpredictable career," The Autobot leader admitted. "I take it my son and his friend behaved appropriately?"

"Why wouldn't they?" Johnny asked, looking to Josh and Smokescreen for an explanation – and they pointedly turned away sheepishly. "We've just been play – playing games together. They've been, uh, really nice to me."

Magnus nodded approvingly. "Has Josh spoken his piece yet?"

"It was one of the first things I did, actually," Josh answered.

"Then I suppose it's my turn." Magnus faced Johnny, eyes gleaming with an intensity Johnny had never seen before in anybody. "Jonathan, you may not have realized what were doing at the time, but you saved the life of somebody very close to my spark. Somebody I don't know what I would do without, and believe me, I don't say that lightly. As an Autobot, I could thank you, reward you greatly." Then, his entire face changed; what was once a serious mask glowed with joy and gratitude the likes of which Johnny had never seen. "But as a father, I could never thank or reward you enough."

Once again, Johnny found himself intimidated, but he recovered quickly this time. "It was, really no problem. Josh said that, um, he could've died if I wasn't... there. Is that true?"

"Died?" Magnus turned toward Josh, who sighed in amusement.

"Alright, maybe I was being a _little_ melodramatic," Josh confessed. "But seriously, who knows what would've really happened to me? For all I know, I could've been right on the dot.

"Speaking of which," the youth turned toward his father. "Dad, can I head out to the races with Bee and Smokes this Saturday? I think I'm good to go now."

Magnus considered his son's proposal briefly before replying. "We'll see how you feel by Thursday, and then I'll decide. I don't intend to send you out if you aren't prepared."

"Hang on, races?" Johnny asked.

"Yeah, there's this track in another part of Iacon," Josh explained. "I've been going there for years now. I'm actually pretty close with some of the racers there, so I get some real nice perks."

"One of the racers is my brother. His name's Bluestreak," Smokescreen added. "I don't usually go, but I don't have anything to do this weekend and he's supposed to be in the race this time, so I figured I'd tag along."

Johnny nodded in understanding, before a certain piece of information resurfaced for him. "Wait... the race is Saturday?"

"Uh, yeah?" Josh replied, looking confused.

"This Saturday? October fourteenth?"

"That's what I said. Why?"

"Huh," Johnny thought aloud, half-aware of the smile creeping up on his face. "That's, my birthday."

Josh and Smokescreen's faces lit up in excitement. "Hey, good for you!" Smokescreen cheered. "How old you gonna be?"

"Sixteen."

"Same as me then, huh?" Josh laughed. "Your parents getting you a car?"

Johnny visibly deflated at the mention of his mother and father. They'd never been home for his birthday so far, and he'd received no indication that this year would break that streak. "I... No, I don't think – don't think that's gonna happen," he said, his demeanor suddenly gloomy.

"Oh! Uh... sorry, buddy," Josh replied, taken aback by the other boy's mood swing. "I didn't mean to... you know, make you feel bad." Suddenly, his eyes lit up with excitement. "Hey, you wanna come along?"

"Along?" Johnny said, confused.

"Where else? To the race!" Josh crowed. "It's on your birthday, and you're gonna be sixteen this year. You deserve a treat! What do you say?"

"Oh! Uh..." Johnny's eyes widened, and any words he might have spoken trailed off into nothing. He hadn't been expecting any sort of further invitation. "I'm not sure..."

"Why? You got other plans?" Josh asked.

Johnny thought about that question. Over the years, his birthdays had sunken into a comfortable if predictable routine; sometime during the day he'd receive a call from his parents wishing him a happy day from wherever they were – Dad was usually on Earth teaching other humans in universities about Cybertronian culture, while Mom was usually commuting around the planet as needed for her job as executive assistant to some governor whose name Johnny could never remember. The most he ever received from them as a present was a few hundred extra credits to spend as he pleased.

Later in the afternoon, the Velgers – Johnny's neighbors from a few doors down – would drop by his house with a cake and some real presents, and they'd celebrate for a few hours. They'd actually taken him bowling last year, so maybe they were planning something similar this time as well.

So the honest answer to Josh's question was probably something like 'Nothing I can't reschedule with a little time and effort.' If anything, the Velgers would likely be overjoyed that Johnny had found friends to celebrate his day with. And as nervous about the idea as Johnny was, he really didn't feel like lying.

"Soldier?" Magnus spoke up, bringing Johnny back into reality. "You've been quiet for a while. Is everything alright?"

"Sorry, just thinking," Johnny replied slowly, as if expecting somebody to call him out on his hesitation. "I think – I think I'm free to go, but I'd... like to make sure first."

"Sounds good," Josh nodded. He grabbed his phone off the nightstand nearby, pressed a few things, and then extended it to Johnny. "Here, put in your number, then gimme your phone so I can do the same for you."

Johnny did as Josh requested, then unlocked his phone and gave it to the other boy. He got it back quickly. "I'll call you on Thursday, let you know if I've got the green light," Josh continued. "And if I do, then I'll pick you up Saturday at three or so. Got it?"

"...Right. Okay," Johnny nodded.

And that was it. No going back now.

 **The next chapter will be coming out slower, FYI - I wrote these two together before posting them.**

 **Tomorrow's Hero, signing out.**


	3. My Day At The Races

**Hey, everybody. Thanks for the faves and follows! It's nice to know people are already enjoying this story.**

 **Simple Acts**

 _ **My Day At The Races**_

 _There is cool s*** to do_

 _But it can't come to you_

 _And who knows, dude_

 _You might even score!_

 _There is life outside your apartment_

 _But you've got to open the door!_

" _ **There Is Life Outside Your Apartment" - Avenue Q**_

 **xxXxx**

 _KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK_

Johnny rapped against the closed door with the side of his fist and waited. They were usually home by this hour, and he hoped dearly that today wasn't an exception. He had a conundrum that needed sorting out.

He thought back to yesterday afternoon, and the offer that Josh had made him. A day down at the racetrack with Josh and his friends – a sixteenth birthday present thanking Johnny for his heroism. He'd accepted, if tentatively, assuming that Josh would be cleared for travel by Ultra Magnus. But he'd also asked for a recess, a couple of days to get his schedule in order beforehand. Hopefully those two days would enough to clear his mind as well.

It wasn't that Johnny didn't like the idea of getting to know Josh better; the boy, despite being the son of a very powerful political figure, had proven himself to be not much different from other kids his age. He was a nice guy, not at all highbrow like Johnny had envisioned, and if he'd found anything to be strange about Johnny than he'd been considerate enough to keep it to himself.

No, the problem wasn't with Josh. It was with Johnny himself.

Johnny didn't make a habit of being happy – a life of being constantly abandoned and let down had made him pretty gun-shy about the whole concept. So he'd limited himself socially in hopes that nobody would ever notice him, making sure to keep people at an arm's length no matter how nice they seemed. This invitation should have been nothing new, just another thing to apologize about for not being able to accept.

At least, that had been the plan. But he hadn't lied at the time, hadn't made an excuse to not go along. Instead he'd told the truth, that he probably actually _could_ take Josh up on his offer. Johnny still wasn't sure why he'd let his guard down – maybe because he really did want to go with Josh. But what made Josh any different from all of the others? Was it because Johnny had saved his life, or something else? Thinking about it made Johnny's head hurt.

It was still only Wednesday, and Josh would be receiving his father's judgment tomorrow. And Johnny was equally hopeful for both a positive and negative outcome... although he wasn't certain which outcome was which.

So he needed advice. That was why he was here. The door opened to reveal a tall man, somewhere in his late 40's, with a crew cut and a t-shirt with the dark blue logo of the Sonic Canyon Sharkticons lobbing team printed on it.

Mr. Velger always wore t-shirts, no matter what the weather. It was a subject of frequent contention with his wife.

The man's face broke out into a friendly grin at the sight of his visitor. "Hey, Johnny! Good to see you. Come on in?"

Johnny felt a rare moment of comfortableness. It was a common emotion where this family was involved.

"Sure thing, Aaron," he nodded.

* * *

Whitney Velger had always been the motherly type. Her children, Leonard and Valerie, could and did attest strongly to this, usually with the addendum that she could just as easily be embarrassing as well. More often then not, she was both at the same time. Still, Johnny had always been grateful that she treated him the same way.

The instant she walked into the living room and saw Johnny removing his coat, she was on him. "Well, took you long enough to drop by, Jonathan Hale! I've been waiting to see you again!" She pried him off the couch and looked him up and down to make sure he was looking alright. Fortunately, she seemed to like what she saw. "You know, just because school's started doesn't mean we don't wish you'd visit from time to time. Speaking of which, has school been going well? Are you eating properly?"

Johnny laughed. "Everything's fine so far, Whitney. My, ah, grades are looking pretty good, still trying to work out a study habit, but my study period's really help – helping.

"Oh, and thank you for those recipes you sent me," He continued. "I've tried out, a few, and that meat loaf came out especially well."

"Of course it did, dear. I've taught you well."

Johnny knew he couldn't argue against that. The years of cooking lessons Mrs. Velger had given him hadn't steered him wrong yet. "So, Leo and Val are off at university, right?"

Mr. Velger nodded. "Yep. Shipped out late last August, and we've been empty nesters ever since."

"Oh, that's right, this – this is Leo's first year. And he's at the same, place Val's attends?"

"That university in Protihex, yes," Mrs. Velger answered. "Not that that's a surprise – those two are so competitive it wouldn't be right if they were attending different schools." She stopped, then added with a sigh, "I can't tell if that's a good thing or a bad thing sometimes."

Johnny smirked. "Guess you'll have to dig up Val's... Val's old transcripts so Leo can compare them to his."

"We've already started searching, trust me," Mr. Velger laughed, and the other two joined in.

Yeah, Johnny had missed this. He'd been so busy with high school that he'd almost forgotten about these wonderful people who lived nearby. He knew he'd have to make sure to keep them further up in his mind from now on.

"So," Mr. Velger began. "I take it you're not just here to chat, huh, Johnny?"

Johnny looked at the man, a little surprised. "How'd, you guess?"

"Call it intuition. This way, kiddo." Mr. Velger directed Johnny into the kitchen and beckoned to the table in the middle. The young man took a seat as the two adults did the same.

"What's the matter, Johnny?" Mrs. Velger asked, worried. "Do you need help with anything?"

Johnny thought about potential answers to that question for a while before responding. "Yes... but probably not... um, anything you'd be expecting. See..."

So Johnny explained, in some detail, what had been going on since last week. He told the Velgers about how he'd come across a sickly young man and gotten him help, and how that young man was Ultra Magnus' son, and how he'd been summoned to the Autobot's estate to be recognized in person. He tried to remain calm throughout it all, but he could tell that his facade was slipping ever so slightly.

"...So as it stands, I might be, might be going out with Josh and his friends on my birthday. I asked him for, uh, a little time to sort out my schedule, so here I am."

The two adults remained silent for a while, stunned looks on their faces, as they processed what the boy had told them. In truth, Johnny wasn't entirely sure how they'd react in the end; whether they'd be happy for him, or maybe a little disappointed that he wouldn't be available for his traditional celebration. Maybe they just flat out wouldn't believe him – probably a less likely outcome, but still...

Mr. Velger reacted first, closing his slacked jaw and speaking. "So, that boy on the news, the one they were talking about a while ago... was you?" Johnny nodded once, and the man suddenly laughed. "Well, I'll be! Good on you, kid!"

"Wait, really?" Johnny asked, slightly dumbfounded. "You're not... upset?"

"And just why would we be?" Mrs. Velger responded crossly. "Because someone we care about like our own saved a life? We're _proud_ of you, Jonathan, and don't forget it!"

"But... You guys are, fine with me not being around on, on my birthday?"

"Is that what this is about?" Mr. Velger scolded him gently. "Johnny, what's happened to you is a good thing, got it? You're stepping out of your comfort zone, making _friends_ – we've all been hoping for that for years now. Besides, we weren't really planning on doing anything huge this year. We'll just come over on Sunday and have the party then.

"But this? This is something you definitely need to do," the man stated firmly. "Go out, have some fun, and get to know these people. Lord knows you've had this coming for a long time."

Those words struck Johnny and sank into him. _You've had this coming..._ He'd never thought about it in those terms before. He'd never assumed that something like this would happen ever, let alone after all this time. Food for thought, he guessed.

"Well, say something already," Mrs. Velger spoke after a little while. "You're being unnerving."

"Uh, sorry. Thinking," Johnny replied tersely, then took a breath. "I think... maybe you're right. I shouldn't be, nervous – well, maybe I should, but that won't stop me. I won't, I can't let it."

"So, you'll go?" Mr. Velger asked. Johnny nodded, and the man broke out into a grin. "That's what I wanna hear! You'll have a blast, I'm sure!"

"Hope so," Johnny admitted. "Hey, I hate to cut this, ah, short, but I've got homework to, to do, so..." He rose to his feet.

"Alright, but visit more, you hear me?" Mrs. Velger said. "It's lonely around here sometimes, and you're always a nice guest."

"I'll try." Johnny walked back out into the living room to grab his jacket before heading for the door.

"Oh, and Johnny?" She continued, causing the boy to turn. "You know we love you, right?"

Johnny looked at them both, taken aback slightly, then smiled softly. "Thanks. I- I mean it."

And then he left.

* * *

"And here we are! What do you think?" Josh beckoned with a grin and a playful flourish.

"It's _loud_ ," Johnny complained, covering his ears and wincing, for all the good it did him. Christ, it was bearable out in the parking lot, but in here it was just painful.

Bumblebee laughed. "No worries, they sell earplugs here. We'll get you some."

"Please do."

The stadium was jam-packed as the yellow and black Autobot who'd picked Johnny up earlier that day – Bumblebee, he'd called himself – weaved through the crowd of fellow fans both Cybertronian and human. Johnny and Josh were each perched up on one of his shoulders, and while the former human wasn't a fan of the height, Bee's door wings would at least ensure that he wouldn't fall off.

Josh, on the other hand, looked to be having the time of his life, grin still present on his face as he practically vibrated with energy. Johnny could tell just by looking that Josh hadn't been lying when he'd said he enjoyed coming here.

Eventually, the crowd (and the noise, thankfully) thinned considerably as Bumblebee strode onto a white paint-marked area on the edge of the track – one of several, Johnny noted. A few Cybertronians darted back and forth nearby, and Smokescreen was some distance away speaking enthusiastically with another. "Smokescreen's here, too?" Johnny asked. "Where are... where are we?"

"Remember how I told you about Bluestreak on the way here?" Josh replied. "This is his pit area. As for Smokescreen, he's Blue's little brother. He told you about this back at dad's house, remember?"

Oh, right. That did sound kind of familiar. "So, what's Bluestreak like?" Johnny turned to Bumblebee and spoke the question.

"Chatty," the Bot responded immediately. "But a real friendly guy. Smokescreen takes after him a lot.

"Here, you guys should probably get off now." Bee crossed his arms over his chest, palms facing up to act as platforms for the two humans on his shoulders. Josh hopped onto his, while Johnny slowly stepped down onto his, and the Autobot lowered them to the ground with a crouch any ballerina would be proud of.

It was enough to draw the attentions of Smokescreen and Bluestreak, and the two ran toward the newcomers excitedly. "You sure got here early, Smokescreen," Bumblebee chided jokingly, holding his fist out for a bump.

Smokescreen granted that bump quickly. "Nah, you guys are just really late! Besides, what kind of brother would I be if I didn't get here early to chat?" The blue Autobot shot a quick greeting to Josh, then looked at Johnny with lit up eyes and went down on one knee. "Oh, you made it! I wasn't sure if you'd be coming. _Some_ body didn't give me a heads up!" He glared at Bumblebee, who chuckled abashedly.

"I, uh, meant to comm ahead."

"Hey, there's another one!" Bluestreak spoke up suddenly. "Move over, let me see!" The new Autobot knelt down beside his brother, and with them side-by-side Johnny could indeed see a slight resemblance. He was a little taller and bulkier than his brother, predominantly silver with red highlights on his legs, arms, and head, but his warm smile was a dead ringer for Smokescreen's.

"Huh, never seen you around before," Bluestreak noted, then turned to Bumblebee. "Wait a minute, is he yours this time? Thought I told you to tell me if you got bonded! Slag it, I ask you to do one thing, Bee-"

"Blue, you asked me the same thing six years ago about Josh," Bumblebee cut him off quickly. "Why would this time be different?"

"Well, it's been six years, for starters. Figured even you've gotta settle down eventually."

Bee stared at the other Bot for a time while Josh laughed. Even Johnny found himself suppressing a chuckle. "Even me? What does that – no, forget it!" Bee stammered. "This is Johnny. I'm sure either Josh or Smokescreen has been telling you about him."

"Guilty," the two mentioned raised their hands and spoke in unison.

Bluestreak's eyes widened, and he looked back down at Johnny. "No way, you're Johnny Hale?! I've been hearing all about you from those two!" He beckoned offhandedly to Josh and Smokescreen. "You totally saved my little buddy's life! It's an honor!" He swiftly held his hand out toward the human, fingers splayed for a handshake.

Johnny, in return, cowered slightly in intimidation, raising his hands to his face as if to ward the chattering Autobot away.

"Turn it down, Blue. You're freaking him out," Josh said sternly, then added to Johnny. "Eh, don't be scared. Blue runs on full blast a lot, but he's a sweet guy. Nothing to be afraid of."

Holding onto those words and praying for them to be true, Johnny gulped and reached out with a shaking arm to grip one of Bluestreak's fingers in some facsimile of a handshake. "Hey, nice to – to meet you. I'm, uh, I'm Johnny."

Bluestreak's smile dipped just enough for Johnny to notice, and he whispered something that sounded an awful lot like 'another one...' Whatever was there disappeared just as quickly, and his smile reinforced itself. "Well, any friend of Josh's is a friend of mine. Nice to meet you, Johnny." He stood back up to his full height. "Well, I'mma get ready soon. You're gonna want to hurry if you want snacks."

"Got it," Josh chirped. "Come on, Johnny. We'll pick up some earplugs on the way."

"You sure you know where you're going?" Bumblebee snarked playfully.

"Been here plenty of times before, Bee," Josh responded in kind. "We'll be fine. I'll keep an eye on Johnny so he doesn't get lost. Back soon!"

* * *

"This line's kinda long," Johnny mused. The two humans had already picked out some foam earplugs for Johnny that were working wonders for the noise, and then they'd gotten in line at the snack bar. But it was still easily five customers long, so much so that Johnny couldn't even make out the menu.

Josh laughed. "Yeah, big races like this one bring in people from all over. Don't worry, we've still got plenty of time before we miss anything."

"Sure," Johnny replied quietly.

As the line slowly shortened, the two boys chatted lightly over games, movies and other such points of interest. Josh was delighted that he and Johnny shared more than a few likes, but Johnny wasn't the most forthcoming person, and Josh found himself struggling to receive answers of any real substance.

And it wasn't just the terseness. Johnny's entire demeanor seemed off. Josh had expected Johnny to be excited to celebrate his birthday out with friends, but instead the other boy seemed uncomfortable and frightened. He wouldn't meet Josh's eyes for more than a second, and his speech was awkward and hesitant, as though the act was speaking was actually difficult.

Come to think of it, Johnny had been like that back when he'd visited Josh as well. Josh hadn't really paid it much thought – he'd just assumed the kid had butterflies – but back then he'd loosened up and Josh could tell he was actually having fun. Now, it was like he just wanted to leave.

It was almost familiar to Josh... and not in a good way.

Before either of the boys knew it, they'd reached the front of the line. "Hey, Johnny. Take a look and see what looks good. I'll order first, 'kay?" Josh instructed. Johnny nodded and started scanning the menu, and Josh pretended to do the same. He knew perfectly well what he wanted, but he wanted to give his friend some time.

"Um... I'll have a hot dog and a Coke, please," Josh said to the guy running the snack bar. His usual for the races. "How about you, buddy?" He asked Johnny.

Johnny looked around a little longer before nodding. "Got it. Cinnamon sugar pretzel and, cherry soda, please."

Josh chuckled softly. "Little too sugary for my tastes."

"I like sweets," Johnny replied simply. He reached into his pocket for his wallet, but Josh gently stopped him.

"Don't worry about it. I'm paying for this." He pulled out his own wallet and handed some credits to the worker, who took them graciously and handed the boys their orders. Food in hand, the two started wandering back to Bluestreak's pit when the deafening whir of engines cut through the tense stadium air, driving the crowds into a frenzy.

"Okay, _now_ we gotta hurry. Race is starting soon," Josh piped up. They increased their paces to a brisk walk, and were back within minutes. Bluestreak was nowhere to be found, and Bumblebee and Smokescreen were merely standing around in wait.

"It's about time! You almost missed the start!" Smokescreen chided them gently.

"Don't be dramatic," Josh shot back. "There's still time left. Over here, Johnny." He walked over to a large crate and hopped up onto it, cradling his food in his lap. Johnny joined him swiftly, and the two Autobots walked over as well.

"So, I've never been to... one of these before. How's it, how's it work?"

Josh opened his mouth, but Smokescreen beat him to the punch. "I got this, kid. First off, see those cars lined up over there?" He pointed to the starting line, where all the brightly colored race cars awaited the green light eagerly. Johnny had to strain his eyes a little bit, but he could make them out. He nodded.

"Good," Smokescreen continued. "Now, when the race starts, those guys are all gonna..."

Josh tuned out Smokescreen's speech – nothing he didn't already know – and took a glance at Johnny. To his relief, the other boy was starting to loosen up a little, just like he did back at his house. He could see it in Johnny's eyes and body, how the nervousness from before had been mixed with a minute spark of energy that grew stronger even now.

Honestly, it was nice to witness. A far cry from the boy he'd seen earlier. Silently, Josh hoped to see much more of this Johnny in the future.

The roaring of engines exploded through the stadium, and the spectacle began.

* * *

"Okay, you've officially been to your first race," Josh turned in his seat to talk to Johnny. The two boys were seated in the back of Bumblebee's vehicle mode, on their way back home later that night. "Let's hear it. Was it as good as you'd hoped?"

"I wasn't hoping for, uh, anything specific, really," Johnny began, voice still containing traces of awe. "But I gotta say... it was, something else." Indeed, it had been one hell of a race. The way the cars both Cybertronian and human-driven tore across the track... Johnny hadn't been expecting too much of it, but it had turned out to be surprisingly engaging, even discounting Bluestreak's come-from-behind victory. "I'm glad Bluestreak won."

"Yeah, you and Smokescreen," Bumblebee added. "He's gonna be walking on air for at least a day, I figure."

The threesome laughed. Smokescreen had been practically giddywhen his brother crossed the finish line first.

"Alright, moment of truth," Josh continued. "Johnny, sixteenth birthday – you have a good time?"

"A good time?" Johnny mused, falling into consideration. It had certainly been different, that was for sure. Maybe he'd been a little more closed off at first than he'd hoped to be, but Josh and his friends had pried his shell open so subtly that Johnny barely noticed until he thought back on it. They weren't too bad at that, he had to admit.

They weren't too bad at all, actually. Johnny was honestly sad that his time with them was almost over. But they'd paid their debt now, and there was nothing he could do about that.

But it wouldn't hurt to savor it a little while longer. "Yeah, I really did," Johnny nodded, a smile of mixed emotions spreading across his face. "I'd do it again, if I could."

" _Yes!_ " Josh pumped his fists and exulted. Bee honked his horn in a similar manner, ignoring the irritated responses from other nearby drivers. "I knew you'd love it!"

Johnny chuckled lightly in response.

The conversation continued on, and Johnny enjoyed it as much as he allowed himself to, until...

"Here we are," Bumblebee spoke, pulling into Johnny's driveway. "Happy birthday, buddy." The door on Johnny's side popped open.

"Yeah, happy sixteenth," Josh nodded. "Have a nice night."

Johnny forced himself to smile even as he unbuckled and turned back one last time. "Uh, you – you too."

"Oh, Johnny? Stay safe, you hear me?" Bumblebee added suddenly, with absolute sincerity.

Johnny paused in confusion, then nodded. "Got it."

And then he finally shut the door and walked away, waving goodbye.

"What was that all about, Bee?" Josh asked, eyebrow raised.

Bumblebee sighed after a long pause. "Josh..." he began uncertainly. "While you guys were out getting snacks, Bluestreak... he told me and Smokescreen something. It's about Johnny..."

 **And that's all she wrote for now. Later!**

 **Tomorrow's Hero, signing out.**


	4. My Headaches

**Hey, guys. I upload this chapter now with a bit of bad news; I'm shipping back off to college in a week, so updates will probably be scarce for a little while until I can find a good rhythm. Don't worry - I'm not giving up on anything. Just keep on believing in me.**

 **On a more positive note, enjoy!**

 **Simple Acts**

 _ **My Headaches**_

 _I can't remember how_

 _I can't remember why_

 _I'm lying here tonight_

 _And I can't stand the pain_

 _And I can't make it go away_

 _No, I can't stand the pain_

" _ **Untitled" - Simple Plan**_

 **xxXxx**

A flash of white light struck through Johnny's dreams, as it had done too many times before, and then the pain began.

Even before he awoke, Johnny was already writhing about in agony. He squeezed his eyes shut tightly and cradled his head in his hands in a desperate hope to stave off the terrible crushing sensation going on behind his eyes. It did about as much as anything else he could have tried. Through the fog of his headache, he boy could just barely hear himself moaning painfully.

Johnny wasn't sure how long the episode lasted, but the end couldn't have come soon enough. It was always about the same; the squeezing pain let a little bit at first, then a little less, then a little less after that, until it reduced into a dull ache. It would fade away fully in a short while, thank the Primes. For now he laid still in bed, breathing heavily and massaging his temples, and eventually forced himself to crack his eyelids open.

Johnny was grateful there were no lights on nearby – his eyes were always more sensitive right after an episode ended. He could feel tears on his cheeks, and opening his eyes let loose another small rush of them. He sat up with some difficulty and wiped them away, then staggered over to the light switch. He flicked it on, covering his still tender eyes for a brief period, then surveyed the aftermath. His blankets had flung into the corners of the room by his thrashing, and he could only find one pillow.

Johnny leaned against the wall and groaned. It was bad enough when his headaches struck during the day, at least then he could feel them coming on and use those few preceding minutes to prepare. They always seemed to hurt more at night as well, although Johnny could think of no way to readily test that.

It wasn't a frequent occurrence that his sleep was interrupted, but it never left him feeling good when it happened. Johnny walked over to the clock on his end table and read it: about half past five a.m. It was still very much dark outside. Johnny knew through experience that it would take a while for him to fall back asleep after a headache, and if it was any earlier Johnny might have decided it was worth trying, but right now he wouldn't be getting a whole lot of sleep before it was time to wake back up for school.

So the young man, still in his pajamas, plodded tiredly down the hallway (nearly stumbling over the other pillow on the way) and went downstairs to the kitchen. Pouring himself a bowl of cereal as an early morning snack – he'd eat more when breakfast time rolled around – he ate quietly, and by the time he'd finished the last traces of his migraine had faded away.

Johnny strolled from the table over to a kitchen cabinet and plucked a small plastic container from it, enjoying the rattling of the contents within. Twisting the lid off, he dumped a small white pill into his palm and shoved it into his mouth in a fluid motion, swallowing it easily. He'd tried out a few different migraine medicines before, having been to several doctors about the issue, and this one seemed to work the best, numbing the pain of current headaches as well as weakening future ones.

But the container was a little too empty for Johnny's liking. He'd have to get a refill soon.

His headaches, like his broken speech, were not something he'd been born into. If anything, they were similar to a scar, in the way they were always there to remind him of a harm long past. Funnily enough, he was almost lucky in a way; from what he'd heard, most cases of migraines were much more severe than his, both in frequency and intensity. His case was relatively mild... although that really didn't help him feel any better.

He went into the living room, collapsed onto the couch, and cracked open his 3DS. If he hurried, he might just make it to Mauville and get a Gym Battle in before school started.

* * *

"Hey, Johnny."

The voice, as well as the shaking, was more than enough to rouse Johnny from his sleep. His disorientation was brief, and he quickly straightened up and lifted his head to face the unamused Cybertronian staring down at him. "Oh, uh, sorry, Mr. Bastille," the boy excused himself. He could hear a few of his classmates snigger and tried to ignore them. He'd nodded off in school plenty of times in the past. It was an experience he'd learned to handle.

"Alright, now that you're back with us, can you solve that?" The schoolteacher pointed over his shoulder to the large datascreen on the front wall, which currently sported several formulas about velocities and acceleration, as well as a related word problem.

Johnny scanned the problem, calculated internally using a formula or two, and then gave his answer. "Ah... three and a – and a quarter seconds to, uh, impact, right?"

To his relief, Bastille nodded. "Good work." The instructor turned to the entire class. "Now then, we've only got a minute or two left before-" Suddenly, the ringing of a bell interrupted him. "Ah, speak of the devil. Homework's online, have a good Thursday." With that, every student in the room stood up and began talking among themselves as they migrated toward the door.

Johnny slid his folder and notebook into his backpack and started to sling it back up when Bastille spoke up again. "Johnny, can you hang back? I wanna talk for a second."

The young man, ironically, was not really unnerved by this; he'd been asked to stay after class many times over the years, and after a while it sort of lost any fear it may have had. Johnny obediently walked up to Bastille's desk and looked up at the Autobot standing next to it.

Bastille, at first glance, did not look particularly Autobot-like – he was tall and muscular with a broad upper body, covered in jet black and venom green plating with cables like dreadlocks dangling from the back of his head. If not for the big red insignia on his chest, Johnny would have sworn he was a Decepticon. Indeed, Johnny had been terrified of the mech at first, but he'd quickly proven to have a very friendly and casual demeanor, which when coupled with his skill at teaching made him one of Johnny's favorite instructors.

Nonetheless, he didn't look too happy at the moment. "Sorry I nod... nodded off, Mr. Bastille," Johnny mumbled.

Bastille waved it away. "Forget about it, no harm done. I'm more worried about you." He crouched down to look at the boy more closely, concern shining in his eyes. "This is the second time you've fallen asleep in class this month, Johnny."

Johnny considered trying to crack a joke, but decided against it. "Am I that, obvious?" He asked instead.

"Well, you do breathe pretty heavily when you're sleeping," the Autobot shrugged. "Look, I was sharing notes with some of your other teachers earlier today, and a few of them said you'd fallen asleep in their classes, too. Did... something happen last night?"

Something did indeed, Johnny knew. It would have been easy to tell Mr. Bastille the truth, but Johnny's usual reticence was there to intercept the idea. He had no idea what his teacher would do if he knew about his parents being gone. He wasn't sure he wanted to find out.

"No, nothing really," Johnny answered. "I... I just have a hard, hard time sleeping sometimes."

Bastille looked down at the human, studying him, and Johnny could feel himself sweat a little. What would he do if Bastille didn't believe him? Ultimately, the Autobot stood back up, seeming to dismiss his suspicions. "Well, I'd normally be stricter on people who sleep in my class," Bastille began. "But you've been a pretty good student so far, so... just try to get some more sleep, alright bud?"

"Of course," Johnny nodded and turned to leave.

"Oh, and Johnny?" Bastille called out one last time. "Please don't be afraid to talk to me. If you're really having trouble, then I want to be there for you. Okay?"

Johnny was sure those words would him for a while later, but he just turned back and nodded. "Got it. Thanks, Mis... Mr. Bastille."

He left without another word.

* * *

After dropping by his locker shortly to pick up his remaining books, Johnny began the trek toward the front door and freedom. As he ducked and weaved through the crowd of humans and Cybertronians alike, the young man could just make out snatches of conversations between the people around him. The way they all seemed to have plans with other people, people who made them happy to be around, Johnny was almost envious.

Actually, when he made himself look closer, Johnny _was_ envious. Why couldn't he have somebody like that? He'd been alone all his life already. Didn't he deserve friends by now? He loved the Velgers with all his heart, certainly, but he wanted somebody his age, somebody he could see at school and eat lunch with. Why couldn't he be strong enough to make that kind of friend?

Those thoughts made Johnny already low mood sink even further, and he walked toward the front door with his head down. So he didn't see the figure coming up on his right until they drew his attention.

"Yo, Johnny!"

Johnny looked up in shock – and winced slightly from the whiplash – at the sound of that voice. "Josh? What are you...?" Johnny asked, caught off guard by the other boy's appearance.

"Heading out, just like you," Josh replied as the two walked out through the front door and began down the steps. "I mean, usually I'd hang around with my friends, but Abigail and Terry are busy and I've got a lot of work to do, so...

"Hey, I saw you fall asleep again in physics today. Everything alright with you?" The older boy changed topics suddenly, his face changing from carefree to concerned.

Johnny blinked. "You're in my, physics class?"

Josh nodded. "Yeah. I've seen you in there before, but before now I never really paid much attention to you." He chuckled lightly. "Now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure we're in homeroom, too. Remind me to keep an eye out for you from now on."

Johnny ahhed gently, trying to keep his questions down. Josh was still talking to him... why? He'd paid his dues to Johnny already, so he didn't have any further reason to interact with him, right? But the way the other boy was talking, he still wanted to keep meeting up, and Johnny couldn't fathom why. Did he want something else?

Johnny forced himself to keep talking, to steer the conversation another way. "Don't worry about me, I – I... didn't sleep well last night. No, harm done."

Josh stopped walking, causing Johnny to nearly stumble, and turned so the two were facing each other. "Huh... does that happen a lot?" He questioned further.

Johnny was starting to feel alarmed now. It was uncomfortable enough that Josh still insisted on seeing him, now he was asking around about his home life? Johnny didn't want him to know the truth – who knew how Josh and his friends would react if they knew how deep his scars ran?

So he forced a smile that he prayed seemed casual. "Nah, sometimes I just, stay up t-too late. Kind of, of a bad habit, I... I guess."

Josh knew he was lying through his teeth – the smile alone was a big clue – but he could hear his father's voice in his head telling him not to force too much out of the other boy. A bit of wisdom, perhaps, from when Magnus was trying to coax his then-foster son out of his shell. The fact that the situation seemed to be repeating itself did not escape Josh, but he was too distracted to laugh.

So instead, he put on a smile of his own. "Well, whatever. You got any plans for this afternoon?"

Johnny shrugged. "Not really. I was, just gonna do some home... homework on the front steps for a while, then head – then head on home."

"Your parents aren't picking you up?"

Johnny shook his head. He was pretty sure he could risk this. "They're pretty... busy today. But my, house is only, uh, twenty minutes away, so I can walk, can walk it."

Josh stared at him for a while in disbelief. "What, you're gonna hoof it in this cold?" He shook his head. "Scrap that. Bumblebee's already here to pick me up-" He jerked a thumb toward a familiar yellow sports car parked in front of the school. "-so let us give you a ride home."

Johnny's eyes widened, and he drew back slightly from the other boy. "...What? Wh-why?" His eyes shone with fear and confusion.

If Josh had been a complete stranger, his reaction might have been understandable. But as it was Josh was hurt more than he cared to admit by his friend's reaction. The fact that he could understand it, and on an all-too-personal level at that, only made him feel worse.

For a spurt of motivation, he remembered what Bee had told him; how Bluestreak's gut instinct had told him that Johnny was an abusee, just like Josh himself had been. Taken by itself it probably wouldn't have been convincing enough, but when combined with what Josh had seen in Johnny through their interactions, it suddenly became rock-hard evidence. And with how Johnny was acting now... Josh was certain beyond certainty that Blue had been right.

That meant he had to help. He _had_ to.

Josh took a deep breath and then spoke, trying hard to remember how his father had spoken to him. "Because... because I don't want you getting cold, Johnny," Josh began, as gently and honestly as he could. "And because I like you a lot, and I want to give you a hand if you need it. You don't even have to talk to us or anything, we'll just take you straight home. Just this once and then never again, if that's what you want. Come for a ride?" He beckoned to Bumblebee, who he knew had heard the whole thing and wanted to help Johnny just as much as he did.

Johnny's eyes darted between the Autobot and Josh a few times, as if to catch them in some sort of lie. But after a while, his rigid posture gave way to something looser, and while the suspicion in his eyes remained, a joyful sadness mixed itself in as well. "Fine. I... I guess it'd be nice."

A sense of triumph rose within Josh as he and Johnny made their way to Bumblebee, who opened his back doors for the two to climb in. "Hey, Johnny. How've you been?" The Autobot asked softly.

Johnny shrugged. "Can't complain, I guess."

After the two boys buckled up, Bumblebee began the drive to Johnny's house. The whole way there, Josh kept up a gentle pace of conversation, one that he hoped Johnny would find agreeable. The latter, for his part, seemed only to be half-listening – just enough to give short responses when Josh seemed to want them. Although the other two couldn't see it, he was deep in thought at the time, trying to puzzle together something with barely any of the pieces to use.

Josh tried to keep the conversation going until they reached Johnny's home – about ten minutes or so from the school. The older boy was saddened that the ride was over; he still had so much that he wanted to know about Johnny, and so much that he wanted him to see. Bumblebee seemed as well to be in a similar downcast state.

Johnny unbuckled and reached for the door, but he couldn't quite make himself pull it open. There was still so much he didn't get. Why were these people taking such an interest in him? Did he even want that from them? He had more guesses than he could count, but none of them seemed to fit. Should he just bite the bullet and ask? He could feel the blood rush in his ears.

"...Johnny?" Josh asked worriedly. "Is something wrong, man?" He slowly reached out to place a hand on the other boy's shoulder. Before he made contact, Johnny spoke.

"Why are you... you guys being so... so nice to, nice to me?" The young man blurted the words out with an unusual passion, mangling them terribly as he did. He turned his head to the side, denying Josh a chance to look him in the eye.

Josh was taken aback by the question. "Why? Why wouldn't we be?" He asked, feeling a cold heartache growing in his chest. He wasn't even sure he wanted to hear Johnny's answer.

But Johnny gave it anyway. "I mean, you, you guys already paid, off your... your debt, right? On my birthday, with the trip, to the racetrack. You-there's no more... reason for you, for you guys to – to be treating me like... like this, and I-" The boy's voice cut out with a long, breathy exhale. Why was he doing something so... so out of character? He pressed his fingers against the left side of his head again, feeling tears form, although he made himself keep them in. "I – I don't get it." He finished.

Josh stared at him with a horrified mask and a block of ice in his chest. Why in the world... How could Johnny even consider all of that? He'd only meant to thank the boy for saving him, but he'd twisted its meaning into something Josh couldn't imagine himself doing. Words failed him, so deep was his horror.

They didn't quite fail Bumblebee, though. "A debt?" He repeated, incredulous. "Is that what all that was about to you? Paying a _debt?_ " The Autobot felt himself grow angry, and his voice grew louder with every word. "It couldn't have been just because we liked you? Or because we wanted to give you a good sixteenth birthday?! It had to be a slagging _debt_ to you?!"

His rage shocked Johnny into looking his way, giving the Autobot and Josh a glimpse of the youth's tear-filled eyes and tortured expression. It was enough to tear Bee's spark clean open. "You... really didn't think it was because we _liked_ you?" The robot finished, voice weak with pain.

They... they liked him? All at once, Johnny's mind seemed to clear. It was never about paying a debt, not even for a second. They just wanted to spend time with him. They wanted to know him. They just... wanted _him_. Nothing else. So simple, yet so alien to him.

Johnny turned to Josh at last, and the other young man looked back at him with agonized eyes. He must have felt the same way. What about Smokescreen, Magnus, and Bluestreak? Were they of like minds as well?

"I..." Johnny whispered, almost without realizing it. "I didn't... understand."

None of them spoke for a while after that. They couldn't find the words to say. What _could_ they say, after all of that?

Josh eventually made an effort. "Johnny..." He began, eyes still filled with pain. He seemed conflicted, as though he decide on what to say, or if he should even say it at all. "What happened to you?"

Johnny was confused briefly, but then his eyes widened in shock. Oh, Primus... had Josh taken a guess at his past? He couldn't have been so upset if he wasn't sure he'd figured it out. But if that was the case, why was he still so concerned with Johnny? He wasn't going to run?

Somewhere inside, the thought made Johnny happy. He could even feel a ghost of a smile on his face. But he wasn't ready to bare his soul just yet. He turned away and pulled the door open at last, unbuckling to step out.

He could hear Josh move behind him. "Johnny-"

"Not now," Johnny cut the other boy off. He took another breath. "I'm not – not ready yet." He turned to look inside Bumblebee once more, at the boy and bot inside. "But... soon, maybe. I'll, let you know." He shut the door and walked up the lawn to his home. Pulling the door open, Johnny walked into the living room and threw himself onto the couch. Right now, he wasn't in the mood to do anything else but lie there.

Turning on the stereo with a remote control, he let the music flow through him as he closed his eyes.

 _Try to hear my voice. You can leave, now it's your choice..._

 **Depressing, huh? Don't worry - it's always gotta get a little dark so the dawn can shine even brighter.**

 **And rest assured, Johnny shouldn't have to wait too much longer (can't say the same for all of you, unfortunately).**

 **Tomorrow's Hero, signing out.**


	5. Their Concerns

**Hello again, all! Reporting in from college with a new chapter! Enjoy!**

 **Simple Acts**

 _ **Their Concerns**_

 _We find out what we're made of_

 _When we are called to help our friends in need_

" _ **Count On Me" - Bruno Mars**_

 **xxXxx**

Johnny swallowed the last remains of his afternoon snack – a chicken panini – and scribbled down a few more sentences for his Cybertronian History homework. It could be an interesting subject when the class was covering a more notable series of events, but at the moment the focus was in the middle of something of a dry spell, history-wise. Personally, Johnny had been hoping to cover some of the Autobot-Decepticon War, but his textbook was strangely sparse on the matter.

He could sort of understand that – the war had stretched on for thousands of years, and the peacetime hadn't even lasted twenty yet. No point in rocking the boat so soon, especially after something as major as that. It made for some pretty boring study sessions, though.

At last Johnny had almost finished with the assignment – a two page paper on relations between two of the Cybertronian city-states, student's choice. He'd picked Iacon and Praxus, and while there was plenty of content to write about in that, Johnny couldn't help but find it to be a tedious task. So needless to say, with only half a page to go and still two days before the due date, Johnny was feeling good.

 _KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK-KNOCK_

Johnny looked up in surprise at the sound of rapping on his door. Who on Cybertron could that be? He didn't think anybody was supposed to come over. Tucking his homework back into his folder, the young man walked out of the kitchen toward the front door. He tugged it open to reveal-

"Smokescreen?" Johnny stared in surprise at the holoform standing on his porch. "Why are you...?"

"What, I'm not allowed to drop in every now and then?" The male holoform chuckled, before growing just a little bit more pensive. "But seriously, kiddo, I'm here to check in and see if you've got plans for today. I wanna do something with you."

Johnny's eyes widened. "What? Why?"

"Well, 'cause I like you, and when I have free time I prefer to spend it with people I like," Smokescreen replied earnestly, giving the boy a firm pat on the shoulder. "Besides, it's a real nice Saturday afternoon out here, and a kid like you should be out enjoying it with friends."

 _Friends._ Johnny could feel his mind catch on that word. Was that how Smokescreen saw him? It made the young man feel warm inside. "You think, we're friends?" Johnny stammered.

The Autobot frowned. He'd been hoping dearly that Josh had been exaggerating about Johnny, but the boy really was as screwed up as he'd been told. First his brothers, then Josh, now this kid... Smokescreen was starting to feel like a magnet for abuse victims. It wouldn't have been so painful if he didn't like Johnny so much.

Still, he had to do _something_. That was why he'd come over in the first place – to help the kid see just how much someone cared about him. Just like Josh, he couldn't turn his back on somebody who needed his help so dearly.

So the Autobot didn't turn his back. Instead, he bent down slightly and gripped the shocked young man by his shoulders. "No, Johnny. I don't _think_ we're friends," he began firmly. For once in his life, he knew exactly what he wanted to say. "We _are_ friends. Maybe not good ones, but that's why I'm here. It's time somebody took the effort to get to know you."

Johnny stared at the holoform in stunned silence. "...Really? You – you too?"

Smokescreen nodded. "Yeah, me too. Just like Josh, Bee, and everybody else. But they're not here right now, so it's just you and me today." He released Johnny's shoulders and tried to lighten up a little. "I mean, unless you've got something else planned."

Johnny considered his other options, and then quickly discarded them all. After seeing Smokescreen look so determined, he didn't dare let him down unjustly. "No, actually. Just some, homework for Monday. But it's almost, ah, done. What did you have, have in mind?"

The Autobot's face lit up excitedly. "I was thinking a movie, actually. I haven't been in ages, and there are a few out that I've been dying to see!" He gushed like a kid again. There was the Smokescreen that Johnny knew; it felt good to see him so happy again after his bout of seriousness.

"Sounds cool," Johnny nodded, smiling slightly as well. Maybe a movie would do him good – besides, it had been a while for him as well. Slipping his shoes on, the human strode out across his lawn, with his friend's holoform in close pursuit. As the two drew close to Smokescreen's sports car guise, the nanomachines forming his human body dispersed with a blue flash and flew back into the vehicle, whose passenger door popped open for his young buddy to slide in.

They were off shortly after. Johnny quickly found a radio station and leaned back, making himself comfortable for the ride. Smokescreen laughed warmly at the sight, although a much greater part of him was stressed. Josh had only just told Smokescreen his suspicions about Johnny two days ago, but if what he'd said was true, then that meant Smokescreen had wasted two whole days that he could have spent helping the kid out.

He didn't know exactly what Johnny had been through to make him so withdrawn and depressed, but he could tell that the boy was alone. More than anything, he needed somebody he could count on.

And Primus help him, he'd _be_ that somebody.

* * *

Ultra Magnus had rarely seen his son look so agitated. He'd caught Josh furiously pacing around in his room, and immediately brought the boy back to his study to figure out what had gotten under his skin. Once he'd finally soothed Josh enough to make him sit down, Magnus took a seat of his own behind his desk and met him eye to eye.

"Joshua-"

"It's Johnny," Josh blurted abruptly. "I mean," he started again, more slowly this time. "It's about Johnny. I think he's in trouble, Dad." He looked up to his father with distressed eyes.

Magnus was surprised at his son's demeanor. "Jonathan? What exactly do you mean?" He asked.

Josh sighed. "Well... when we were out at the racetrack last week, Johnny was really quiet and nervous, no matter how much I tried to make him feel better. And then, after we dropped him off back home, Bumblebee... he told me something." The boy gritted his teeth, trying and failing to ignore the pit in his stomach.

"He said... that Bluestreak told him that he thought Johnny was like me," Josh continued sadly. "I mean, an abuse victim."

Magnus' eyes widened. Jonathan, the boy who'd saved his son's life? Was he really yet another child abused? The Autobot leader didn't want to believe it, but he knew that if anyone could have figured something like that out, it was Bluestreak. Indeed, Magnus had known about what he and Prowl had gone through with their creators for quite a long time – Prowl had told him about it outright when he'd been hired, and Bluestreak had confirmed it.

But Jonathan? He'd seemed like such a wonderful boy – the idea that something like that could happen to a goodhearted person like him was vile. Secretly, Ultra Magnus cursed himself. Jonathan had been skittish back when he'd come over, but at the time the Autobot had merely written it off as nerves. He shouldn't have been so naive – after all, Jonathan had to have gotten those nerves somehow.

"There's more, actually," Josh added, bringing Magnus back down to earth. "Um, a couple days ago, I ran into Johnny on the way out of school. He seemed really bummed, and when I asked him if everything was alright he... he put on this big fake smile and said everything was just fine."

"How did you know that it was fake?" Magnus asked.

Josh shrugged. "I've faked smiles before, Dad. It's not hard to tell for me. Anyway, then he told me his parents were too busy to pick him up, and when I offered to let him ride home with Bee and I, he freaked out. I had to..." The boy trailed off briefly. "I had to assure him that I wouldn't try anything just to get him to come with us," Josh went on, dimly aware of his father's increasingly surprised gaze. "And then when we made it back to his house, he got really quiet, and when I tried to talk to him, he... he asked us why we were still doing stuff for him after we'd paid off our debt." He forced the last part out in one breath, as if he'd been desperate to get it out before it could hurt him further.

Magnus understood the implications of Josh's report quite swiftly. He was suitably shocked and saddened by the news. "I see... what did you tell him in response?" He replied, and Josh could hear the empathy in his voice.

"Nothing much, really. What could I have said to that?" His son admitted with a mirthless laugh. "Anyway, it got Bee's engine block heated up, and he kind of lost his temper for a little bit. He wound up telling Johnny point-blank that it was 'cause we liked him, and then Johnny..." Josh could feel his chest tighten as the memory resurfaced for him. "You should've seen the look on his face, Dad. He was... it was like he hadn't even considered that before then. Like what Bumblebee said was the first time anybody had ever said anything like that to him."

Feeling tears start to well up, Josh gritted his teeth and forced them back. He couldn't believe he was saying any of this; what kind of sick joke was it that somebody just as screwed up as he used to be got dropped into his lap? And after that same person had gotten Josh to like him so much? It wouldn't have been nearly as painful if he didn't care about Johnny, but he _did_ and that just made him feel worse.

Josh felt his father gently cup him in one hand, and he looked up to find that the Autobot's face was filled with sorrow as well. "Joshua, are you trying to ask me for help?" Magnus asked softly, stroking Josh's back with a finger. "You know I would be more than willing to give it to you."

"I can't... I can't just leave him, Dad," Josh whispered. "Johnny's so much like me, and I have to... to do something. He said he'd tell me about himself when he was ready, but I don't think I can wait that long. I don't know what to do."

Magnus' spark sank, but he composed himself as best he could, then looked his boy in the eyes. "Son, you need to give him time." Josh opened his mouth to protest, but Magnus gently cut him off with a raised hand. "I know what you're going through, that feeling that you can't help no matter how hard you wish it. That was how I felt raising you.

"Believe me, I was tempted to try and force you to open up quickly. It would have saved me a great deal of time." He shook his head firmly. "But I know now that would have been very wrong. All it would have done was hurt you and push you even farther from me. So I decided that I would simply be there for you, and wait for you to come to me on your own."

Josh was stunned. He'd gotten glimpses of his father's experiences with him before, but never from his perspective. Never so clearly. He wiped his eyes. "I guess I really made you wait, huh?" The young man joked softly. Magnus didn't laugh, but Josh could see his optics lighten up a little bit. "Sorry, I never realized-"

The look on Ultra Magnus' face stopped him in his tracks.

" _Never_ apologize to me for that, soldier," the Autobot said sharply. "You have no reason to feel remorse for your scars, and I won't let you act like you do."

Josh was briefly at a loss for words, but he managed to bring himself together. "Right. I'll – I'll remember that."

His father nodded, content. "Let Jonathan see that he can place his trust in you, Joshua. Show him that you will be there for him under any circumstance. Once he realizes that, he will open himself up to you, and you'll be able to give him the aid he needs."

"You really think that'll work?" Josh asked.

"It worked for me, and you were far more stubborn than that boy will ever be," Magnus chuckled, and his son joined in. After where their talk had gone, it felt good. "Now, who else knows about Jonathan's history?" The Autobot leader added.

"Besides me? Uh, Bee, Blue, and Smokescreen," Josh replied. "Bee didn't want to say anything until we knew exactly what Johnny's deal was, and I don't know about Smokescreen. We talked about it a little while ago, and he got really pissed off." Josh's mind wandered back to that conversation. "It was kinda scary, actually. I've never seen him like that. Anyway, I don't know what he's planning on doing about it."

Magnus cocked an eyeridge. "I wouldn't have imagined Smokescreen growing so heated," he admitted.

It made sense, though. Smokescreen had never even met his creators – Bluestreak and Prowl had seen to that. Perhaps the subject of parents was a more sensitive spot for the Autobot than he let on.

"...Well, I should probably get started on some of my homework," Josh said, standing up from his seat. "Thanks, Dad. I... I'll try and follow your advice. I think I'll call Johnny later today, just to check up on him."

Magnus nodded approvingly. "I think it's best you do. And soldier?" Josh turned back around. "In the future, don't hesitate to ask me for advice if you need it. I know you've grown a great deal, but you're still young." The Autobot smiled. "Besides, I would never refuse to help my son."

The boy looked back at his father with a similar smile. "Yeah, I'll keep that in mind. Thanks, Dad."

Josh left, leaving Ultra Magnus alone in the study. He sat back at his desk to do a little work, in hopes that it would keep his processor off of things.

* * *

"So, what do you wanna see?" Smokescreen turned away from the list of movies playing to look down at the human boy next to him.

Johnny stared at the list himself, deep in thought, before shrugging slightly. "I don't know. I've never, heard of most of – of these." He admitted. "You said... there were a few you wanted – a few you wanted to watch?"

"Oh, yeah," Smokescreen nodded. "But I don't want you to be bored. How about _Prime Directive?_ "

"...Maybe. Let's see what else... oh!" Johnny exclaimed, pointing up at another title. "I've heard _Horizon Twelve_ is... is really good."

"Wait, is that out?" Smokescreen asked. He stared up at the screen in surprise. "I've been looking forward to that one for ages! Wanna see it?" He beamed down at Johnny in a playfully expectant manner.

Johnny chuckled. He couldn't help but feel as though Smokescreen's enthusiasm had infected him as well. It was uncharacteristic of him, but maybe that wouldn't be such a bad thing. "Let's do it," he nodded back with a smile.

"Great! Gimme just a sec..." His Autobot friend exulted before strolling over to the ticket counter.

The femme working the place smiled at the sight of him. "Hey, Smokey. Haven't seen you in a while," she greeted him in a friendly manner. "What'll it be today?"

"Two adults for _Horizon Twelve_ , if you would," Smokescreen replied, holding up the same number of fingers. At the other bot's confused look, he beckoned down to Johnny. "The kid's with me. He's a buddy of mine, but he's kinda shy, so I'm hoping this'll pull him out of his shell a little."

The two had their tickets in minutes, and they proceeded into the theater lobby. "Hey, do you know, that lady?" Johnny asked suddenly.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. We actually used to date," Smokescreen admitted. "A few years back. We went out for a while, but it was never anything serious. We're still good friends, though."

"She called you – Smokey."

The Autobot laughed. "Yeah, she's funny that way. I'm just not in the mood for anything big right now – maybe when the right bot shows up. You ever...?" Smokescreen trailed off, then laughed heartily as he saw laughed Johnny's face lit up at the sight of the snack counter. "Sure, let's go get some snacks. What's on your mind today?"

"I'm thinking... popcorn and an ICEE. Any flavor's fine," Johnny replied after a little thought.

"Coming right up."

* * *

A couple hours later, as the credits rolled at last, Smokescreen and Johnny slowly walked out of the theater with the rest of the crowd, as though they couldn't believe what they'd just seen.

"That was... _wow_ ," Johnny stammered. His mouth curled up into a smile as he thought back on the film. "I'll have to buy that, when it comes out."

"Get a copy for me, too," Smokescreen replied, utterly serious. "That was the best forty credits I've ever spent."

Needless to say, _Horizon Twelve_ had more than lived up to what Johnny had heard of it. It was a tale of a starship – the titular _Horizon Twelve_ – manned by Cybertronians and humans alike, tasked with exploring the system and discovering new planets and species. Perhaps a bit of a basic plot, Johnny admitted, but the movie had pulled it off amazingly.

And the characters were all so memorable. From Starbreaker, commander and former Decepticon atoning for past sins; to Euna, an idealistic young woman on a pilgrimage from Earth; to Bloodzone, a former gladiator seeking a new place to call home, everybody was acted so well and brought out so much emotion. Johnny's personal favorite had been Sparkburst, the impetuous but strong-willed engineer pained by the loss of his beloved, Firerose.

It had been funny, heartwarming, and dramatic in equal measure, and the two of them couldn't wait to see it again. "You think... they'll make a sequel?" Johnny suggested.

"With an ending like that? They'd _better_ ," Smokescreen replied.

The duo strolled out of the theater and into the already dimming autumn evening. "Geez, not even six and it's getting dark," Smokescreen said. He turned to face his friend once again. "Hey, you hungry, buddy?"

"Not incredibly," Johnny answered. "But I could eat."

The bot snickered. "We'll swing by a drive-through on the way back. Sound cool?"

"Uh, sure," Johnny shrugged. In a blur of sound and motion, Smokescreen resumed his sports car form, and the human slid into the front seat. "Hey... this was fun," the young man confessed, a small but very real smile showing itself on his face.

Smokescreen's engine whirred happily as they drove off. "I always aim to please, kiddo."

* * *

A half hour later, the Autobot sports car came to a halt in front of Johnny's home – which was becoming a steadily more familiar sight, to be honest – and Smokescreen's young charge stepped out of the car, fast food bag in hand. As Johnny walked up the lawn, Smokescreen shifted back into robot form and followed up him to his front door. "So, tell me the truth, did I show you a good time, or what?" The Autobot smirked.

Johnny pondered that question. He had, actually; despite his prior doubts, Smokescreen had proven himself once again to be a very friendly mech who looked out for him wherever they went. For once, even Johnny's omnipresent nervousness seemed so distant right now. It was a different feeling, one he wasn't used to... but it felt very good.

So he turned to face his friend with a smile. "You did, actually." Johnny replied. "I had a real good... good time today, Smokescreen."

"Really? Great!" Smokescreen exulted. "Hey, I've got weekends off for as long as I can see. You wanna make this a weekly thing?"

Johnny's eyes widened. Needless to say, he was a little blindsided. "Uh, really?" He stammered softly. "You want to see movies with me every weekend? That's a... a lot of – of movies."

"Not just movies," Smokescreen replied with a wave of his hand. "Anything you want. There's plenty to do around Iacon." He knelt down to look the boy in the eye. "I like you, Johnny, and I'm not ready to let you go just yet. There's too much out there for us to see together."

Once again, Johnny was caught unaware by Smokescreen's sudden earnestness. He was so acclimated with the Autobot's usual playful cockiness that it still came as a surprise to him even now. He'd probably talked to Josh and Bee, Johnny guessed. The three of them seemed close enough for that. And sure, he was more than happy to be Johnny's buddy now, but what if Johnny screwed things up somehow? He didn't want to drive Smokescreen away – he didn't want to drive anybody away. Not after he'd drawn so close to them all.

"Smokes... I don't know, Smokey," Johnny mumbled, tilting his eyes downward. "I'm not – I'm not used to this... to any of, this."

"That's all the more reason you _need_ to do it, then," Smokescreen countered. He forced as much of his intent into his words as he could. Anything to reach Johnny. "Come on, you've already hung out with me, Josh, and Bumblebee. You don't wanna meet anybody else just now, that's fine. I get that. But do you really think any of us would just up and abandon you? You can trust us, Johnny!"

"I... I _want_ to," Johnny replied. He took a deep breath and slowly looked up, catching Smokescreen's eyes. The bot's shoulders were slumped, and his face was a saddened mask. There was an air around him of... desperation, maybe? It all seemed so wrong.

Johnny forced himself to start over, speaking slowly as the words formed for him. "I know... I need to... trust people. I need to, to make a change, Smokey." His voice wavered, but didn't give out. "But where... how... what do I do? I don't know, don't know where to start."

Before he realized what was happening, Smokescreen had already curled his hand around Johnny's much smaller body, closing his fingers just enough to wrap Johnny in them without hurting him at all. The Autobot's face had shifted once more, into a determined, protective expression, one that the human had never seen before.

"Trust us, Johnny," Smokescreen said. It was simple, but no less poignant because of it. "Please, _please_ trust us."

After what seemed like far too long, the boy nodded. "I'll try. I... I promise."

With that, the Autobot removed his hand at last and stood back up fully. "You know, the offer still stands, little man," Smokescreen said. "Wanna make the weekends our hangout time?"

Johnny nodded. It would be a start.

He was rewarded for his answer when Smokescreen's usual smile crept back onto his face. "Alright, good to hear. I'm headin' back home. You gonna be fine on your own?"

"I can take care... of myself," Johnny replied. "And... thanks for the day out, Smokey. See you soon?"

The Autobot's smile grew further. "You know it, Johnnytron."

He left shortly after, driving off into the rapidly darkening night. Johnny headed inside. His dinner would be getting cold, and he had plenty of thinking to do tonight.

 **Almost there, everybody. Johnny won't be alone for much longer.**

 **Tomorrow's Hero, signing out.**


	6. Our Scars

**Simple Acts**

 _ **Our Scars**_

 _But would it set me free_

 _If I dared to let you see_

 _The truth behind the person_

 _That you imagine me to be?_

 _Would your arms be open?_

 _Or would you walk away?_

 _Would the love of Jesus_

 _Be enough to make you stay?_

" _ **Stained Glass Masquerade" - Casting Crowns**_

 **xxXxx**

Just as it always did, the herd of students flooded down the hallways of Iacon Academy and into the noisy chaos of the lunchroom. Johnny was near the front. He liked being there; it meant he didn't have to deal with people shoving at him from every direction, and it ensured that he had his pick of the litter when it came to seating.

His usual seat of choice wasn't at any table, however. Instead, the young man crossed the busy cafeteria, weaving between tables, chairs, and other students, and settled down against one of the walls. It was right near a window too, which was an added bonus. Pulling out his blue vinyl lunchbox, Johnny happily started munching on the sandwich that he had made that morning.

Johnny wasn't sure why or when he'd started eating lunch up against the wall instead of at a table with his fellow schoolmates. The fact that he didn't really do people probably had a large role in it, though. Besides, he was already so quiet around others that they hardly ever noticed him. A few people had tried to reach out to him in the past, but it had never amounted to much. At this point, Johnny much preferred eating lunch against the wall by himself.

So it was an isolation mechanism. Johnny knew that made it bad, and he knew that he'd promised Smokey that he would try trusting people... but old habits were hard to break. He continued eating his sandwich.

"Hey, Johnny."

Caught off-guard by the call, Johnny felt a piece of his sandwich slide down the wrong pipe, sending him into a coughing fit that made his eyes water. But he was able to get it back up, and he wiped his eyes and looked up.

"Josh?" He said to the boy who was presently staring him down.

"The one and only," Josh beamed.

"What are you, doing here?" Johnny asked.

"Exactly what I said I'd do. I'm keeping an eye out for you." Josh bent down to meet Johnny face-to-face. "And more importantly, I wanted to see if you were up for eating lunch with me and my friends."

"...Really?" Johnny replied, slightly dumbfounded. He knew he shouldn't have been surprised – Josh had proven repeatedly that he didn't intend to let go of Johnny so easily. But did Josh really trust him to hang out with his friends? He'd already seen plenty of Johnny's awkwardness around other people. Maybe his friends were the kind of people who wouldn't mind that?

There was still a nervous voice telling Johnny to run away while he had the chance... but that voice was much smaller than he remembered it being.

At last, Johnny nodded. "Okay. If you – you don't think they'd, mind."

Josh broke out into a smile. "Nah, they're great guys. I've already told them a little bit about you, and I think they've been waiting to meet you. Come on, it's pretty close!" He stood back up, reaching a hand back down for Johnny. After a slight hesitation, Johnny took it and let Josh pull him up.

As Johnny let Josh lead him back across the cafeteria, he wondered what kind of friends Josh had. If Josh thought that they'd be alright with him, then perhaps they wouldn't be such bad people. Would they be humans or Cybertronians? Maybe a mix of the two, considering the student body.

Before long, Josh let out a "Hey!" and waved to a small group of people at another table. There were three of them; a tall boy with black hair and red highlights, a girl with blonde hair, and a slender, gunmetal gray Autobot with green frills.

The Autobot looked at the newcomer before turning to Josh. "Josh, you've bought a human for lunch," he spoke as if to sound surprised. "I didn't know you were that type."

"He looks tasty," the black-haired boy chimed in, grinning. It was in jest, of course, but it made Johnny feel painfully out of place.

"Guys, give him a break. You're scaring him," the girl chastised the other two, who put on mock-whipped faces in return.

Josh sat down, paying no attention to the spectacle, and beckoned for Johnny to take a seat as well. Johnny did so, choosing a seat right next to Josh. "Okay, these are my buddies," Josh started. "That's Terry." He pointed to the black-haired boy, who waved lazily. "Abigail." Next was the girl, who smiled and waved back as well. "And Spikewheel." Josh beckoned to the Autobot, who flashed a thumbs up.

He then turned to speak to the three. "Guys, I've already been telling you about Johnny," Josh finished, giving Johnny a pat on the shoulder.

The boy in question forced a timid smile and raised a hand in greeting. "Hey."

"Oh, you're Johnny?" Abigail asked, eyes wide with surprise. "It's great to finally meet you!"

"Yes, Josh has taken quite a liking to you," Spikewheel added. "He's told us a lot about you already."

"Personally, I was starting to think he was making you up," Terry smirked. "Guess I can't say I'm upset to be wrong about it. Just don't make it a habit for me, okay?"

"Uh, right," Johnny nodded. "Sorry."

Terry smile changed into a slight frown. "Dude, I was joking," he answered, as though it should have been obvious.

Indeed it should have been. Johnny's eyes widened. "Oh! Uh... sorry," he repeated, feeling more self-conscious by the second. His arm reached up once again to finger the side of his head.

Thank God Josh chose that moment to interject. "So, Johnny," the blonde-haired boy began. "I've been telling my friends all about you for about a week now-"

"And we'd like you to make him stop," Abigail cut in dryly. Terry and Spikewheel snickered.

"Eh, don't mind them," Josh continued after dealing the girl a playful glare. "Anyway, why don't you talk about yourself a little? I'm sure they're _dying_ to know." He emphasized the word and raised his eyebrows as he said it. Internally, however, he couldn't help but hear a little voice whisper in reply to himself.

 _I know I am._

Johnny stumbled briefly over his words before taking a deep breath and clearing his throat. Looking at the intrigued faces of Josh's friends, he remembered a piece of advice he'd learned years ago.

 _"Listen up, Johnny,"_ the voice of Leo Velger resonated through his head. _"Don't_ _ **ever**_ _think that you're an idiot just 'cause you have a hard time with your words. You know how many famous people there are with speaking problems like you? A lot. They just learn to overcome it._

 _"If nothing else, remember this: nobody's hoping to see you screw up. You talk to somebody, they're not gonna be waiting for you to mess up so they can laugh at you for it. Everybody gets their tongue tied sometimes. If they're really worth talking to, they'll keep listening no matter what."_

Johnny smiled. Good old Leo, always there for him with a pick-me-up. He opened his mouth and started to talk.

"Well, my name's Johnny, for one – one thing," he began. "I'm sixteen, and... I live in the middle-class, class district. I..." He paused to think about something that his audience would find interesting. "I like games, and movies, and... and music."

Spikewheel made an eyebrow-raising motion. "Music, huh? Do you play anything, or just listen?" The Autobot asked.

"Both, actually," Johnny replied.

Josh was surprised at that, and he was sure he looked it. The others did, as well. "You play an instrument? Which one?" He asked.

"Ah, a couple," the reply came. "Years ago, I got a guitar, for my birthday, and my parents have this, this antique piano at home. I've taken lessons for both, and I, and I think I'm pretty good."

He was delighted at the impressed looks on the faces of everyone else. He'd finally said something good!

"Sounds like you wanna be a musician," Abigail noted. "Not bad."

"Can you play the Star Warstheme?" Spikewheel asked hopefully.

"Dude, can you?" Terry parroted, incredibly sincere in his request.

"Uh, I think so," Johnny said after a little thought. He wasn't actually sure, but it probably wouldn't be too hard to learn.

Terry and Spikewheel grinned excitedly. "Seriously, if you play the Star Wars theme, you'll be my hero for life," Terry declared.

"What he said," Spikewheel confirmed.

"We'll see," Johnny laughed. It still felt weird, but it was the kind of weird he could grow used to.

The conversation continued to trail along from there, and Johnny was quickly finding himself swept up in it. He didn't talk too frequently, but when he did he always felt so happy that he didn't have to worry about being judged. He didn't know if he'd passed some kind of test, but either way they had accepted him, and that was a truly wondrous feeling.

Lunchtime flew by before any of them knew it, and before long there were only a few minutes left.

"Hey, we should do something together, all of us," Josh said. "We haven't hung out all together in a while."

"We could catch a movie," Spikewheel offered. "I've heard _Horizon Twelve_ is amazing."

"Yeah, I want to see that so bad!" Abigail said exuberantly. Josh and Terry nodded in agreement.

"I've... actually seen it already," Johnny replied. "But I, I wouldn't mind seeing it again."

"Wait, when... Oh, right. You went last weekend with Smokescreen," Josh remembered. "Was it good?"

"It was... well, amazing," Johnny answered, beckoning to Spikewheel as he did to light chuckles. "I hope they make more."

"I'm sure they will," Abigail said. "There's more books to cover."

"That's good to-" Johnny froze. He pointed a finger at Abigail. "Say that again."

"There's... more books?" She replied, confused.

Johnny's jaw dropped. "It's... it's a book series?!" He asked, struck dumb.

"Oh, that's right," Spikewheel chimed in, waving his finger in remembrance. "I believe there's... four books out right now, maybe?"

"That many?" Johnny gasped. Josh and Terry were busy laughing at the sight of his bulging eyes. "Wait, so... does Sparkburst ever – does he get over Rosey?"

"Not yet. But he and Nitrolink are an item now, so I'm sure that'll help," Abigail replied.

Johnny raised an eyebrow. "Nitrolink? Autobot, neon green, talks like... a beatnik?"

"They actually have quite a history," Spikewheel nodded. "It goes back long before the _Horizon Twelve_."

"I've got all the books so far. Remind me sometime, and I'll let you borrow them," Abigail offered.

"Really? Th-" Johnny's gratitude was cut off rudely by a sudden dull pain in his head. Realizing what that could only mean, he groaned softly and pressed his hand to his forehead. God, of all the times for a headache, why now?

"Hey, you okay?" Josh asked, suddenly much more alert and worried-looking. He leaned forward to lay a hand on the other boy's shoulder, but Johnny stood up suddenly, cutting him off.

"This was fun. Gotta go," Johnny mumbled tersely before heading for the door in a mad dash that sent the people in his way leaping for cover. Just outside the cafeteria, Johnny slid his hand into his pocket for the plastic container that wasn't there, and he felt himself start to panic. He fished through all of his pockets and, when they came up empty, retrieved the answer in a flash.

He darted back into the cafeteria, sending people running once more, and saw his backpack sitting by his seat at Josh and his friends' table. Johnny slid into a crouch as he came up to it, and frantically shoved his hand into a side pocket, rejoicing as his fingers wrapped around his goal. He ripped the container out and swung the backpack up onto his shoulders, then departed with a final "see you" to the others.

They were surprised, to say the least. "What the hell was _that?_ " Terry asked incredulously. "You guys all saw that, right?"

"Him pulling something out and then making a break for it? Yeah," Abigail replied, staring in concern at the boy as he ran back out of the cafeteria.

Josh, who had been watching with a pensive gaze, stood up as well. "I'm gonna follow him," he announced, grabbing his own backpack and swinging it on. "Talk to you guys later."

And then he ran out as well, sending the crowds diving away for the fourth time in minutes.

Johnny had managed a head start of a few seconds, but Josh was faster, and he was able to keep up without much effort. He made sure, however, to stay a safe distance away. Who knew what would happen if Johnny saw him? After a brief chase through the halls, Johnny swerved into a men's room, one closed for cleaning, and Josh forced himself to slow down and catch his breath.

What could he have been doing in there? Josh didn't get a good look at what Johnny had been holding, but his mind was racing with possibilities, few of them good. He walked in slowly and quietly, hoping not to alert Johnny to his presence. A small part of his mind warned him that this was likely not what Ultra Magnus had been thinking when he'd said to be there for Johnny without forcing him open, but Josh didn't care. He was in trouble – right now, that was what mattered.

* * *

Johnny stepped into one of the bathroom stalls and locked it behind him, placing his backpack on the floor underneath the door. Collapsing onto the toilet seat, he twisted the lid off of the container and shook a single pill out. He crammed it into his mouth and swallowed it quickly. The minor, telltale pain of a migraine to come hadn't exploded yet, but it was only a matter of time.

He groaned, feeling himself sinking low. Things had been going so _well_ ; it had been ages since Johnny had felt comfortable talking to people he didn't know. Normally he was so closed off that they didn't even bother with him... although when he thought about it some, Johnny realized with some amazement that the anomaly hadn't been with them. It had been with _him._

Johnny couldn't understand it, but things hadn't gone the same as they always did. He'd actually spoken this time, made an effort to get to know those new people, and been earnestly worried about how they thought of him. Johnny couldn't remember the last time he'd brought up his penchant for playing music in idle conversation, but he'd done it here with no hesitation at all. He laughed – it looked like Josh and his buddies had rubbed off on him in ways he hadn't even know about.

Another laugh escaped, a far more bitter one this time. What was the point of being comfortable with other people when he still couldn't get the words out right? When the pain in his head still hit the breaking point when he didn't want it to? After the way he'd left the cafeteria back there, he'd probably already screwed over anything he might've had with Terry, Abigail, and Spikewheel. What would they think of him now?

If he still couldn't handle being around people like them... then he really was no different from that eight-year-old boy whose uncle smashed a bottle into his head.

The crushing pain surged forth, destroying any further thoughts, and the world dissolved into a haze once more.

And through it all, Johnny swore he could just barely make out someone calling his name.

* * *

"Johnny? Johnny!" Josh called in alarm, smacking the stall door with the palm of his hand. He'd only meant to wait quietly for the other boy to come out of the stall, but when the screaming began Josh knew he couldn't stay hidden. "What's going on? Talk to me!"

Johnny let out a strangled cry, and Josh gritted his teeth and redoubled his efforts. "Scrap it, come _on_ , Johnny!" He hammered the door again. "Tell me what's wrong!"

Johnny still didn't respond, and before too long Josh gave up on getting a response. Instead, he stood back and decided to wait it out. Johnny couldn't stay in here forever, right?

It was a good fifteen minutes before Johnny's pained shouts devolved into mere whimpering. The bell for next period had already rang, but Josh had ignored it. He hadn't been tardy yet this year, so he could afford it just this once. He just kept waiting, listening to Johnny's cries slowly but surely subsiding.

Eventually, the whimpers gave way to heavy breathing, which petered out into nothing. The worst was over, it seemed. Josh stepped to the side as the door swung open and Johnny staggered out, rubbing his eyes. They were red with tears, and Josh could see streaks running down his face. The sight made his heart ache.

"You okay?" Josh asked. Johnny yelped and leaped backward, caught off-guard by Josh's sudden presence, and something flew out of his hand. Eyes widening, Johnny fumbled around for it, but only succeeded in kicking it over to Josh, who picked it up and – succumbing to curiosity – scanned it quickly. It was a small plastic container that rattled when it moved. A medicine bottle, maybe? The label had a brand name that Josh didn't recognize, but beneath it were two other words that Josh understood perfectly.

 _For migraines._

"Johnny-" Josh started, but Johnny swiped the container out of his hand with a disturbing ferocity and shoved it into his pocket. He started to storm out past Josh, who turned and stretched out a hand. "Johnny, wait!"

Johnny whipped around, sending Josh stumbling back. "Why – why won't you leave me, alone?" He snapped.

Josh looked as if the other boy had just struck him. "Johnny, what are you-"

"Everybody does, eventually!" Johnny continued his rant. "Just... stop! Stop making – making me wait!"

"Hey, calm down!" Josh lunged for Johnny and grabbed a hold of the boy's shoulders. Johnny's eyes widened as he tried to shake free, but Josh's grip was solid. "We're gonna get in trouble if somebody catches us in here!"

That made Johnny quiet down somewhat, although he didn't stop trying to pull away, for all the good it did him. Johnny exhaled through his teeth before speaking again. "Why do, why do you pay so, so much... attention to me?" He seethed.

Josh stared at him for a while, then let out a sad sigh. "Johnny, why is this so hard for you to grasp? I _like_ you. _We_ like you. Do we really need any other reason?"

"But you – you can like some... something without always going, out of your way, for it," Johnny countered. "Besides, you know, you know about my, headaches now. You know I'm, I'm damaged." Josh's eyes widened. "So why... spend so much, uh, time on me?"

Josh took a deep breath to calm his growing anger. He was angry at several people – whoever made Johnny the way he was today; Johnny himself, for being unable to accept the care he'd already been shown; maybe even himself a bit, for not being able to open Johnny's eyes. What more could it take?

"Johnny..." Josh began, trying to find the right thing to say. What came to him wasn't quite what he'd been expecting, but it was all he had. "My parents... threw me out when I was five."

This time it was Johnny's turn to look shocked. "They... did?" He gasped.

Josh nodded gravely. "Yeah, and I'm not speaking metaphorically – they actually tossed me out with the garbage." The look of sheer disbelief on Johnny's face was heartwrenching, but Josh knew he had to continue. "So, I came to Cybertron to get away from it. Wound up in the slums of Kaon for the next five years. Dad didn't come around until I was ten, and... it was a rough life, Johnny."

The way he said it made Johnny's eyes tear up, but he kept himself under control. "Why are you..." He started, but Josh cut him off with a raised hand.

"Because I know how you feel, buddy," Josh replied, giving Johnny a pat on the shoulder. "It sucks, but... I know what it's like to have parents who don't care for you."

Johnny's eyes widened again. "How did you know?" He whispered.

A small smile made its way across Josh's face. "Remember Bluestreak, from back at the racetrack? He told me," Josh answered, and upon seeing the confused look on Johnny's face he added "He was an abuse victim too, I guess. I don't know the whole story, you'd have to ask him.

"Anyway, once I knew that, it became kind of obvious," Josh confessed. "Dad told me that I should wait for you, be there for you until you can trust me enough to open up." He shook his head sadly. "I guess I just couldn't do that. I was hoping-" He swallowed, then continued. "-hoping that if I told you my story, you'd trust me with yours. But... I can't blame you if that's not the case." Josh's hands slid backward, off of Johnny's shoulders, and Josh flashed him one last smile.

"I'll... see you around, I guess," Josh muttered, walking past Johnny toward the exit of the bathroom. He was already late for his next class, he knew. But as he trudged down the hallway, Johnny darted out of the bathroom to follow him.

"Hey," Johnny called out, and Josh turned around, perplexed. "You wanna..." He started, then paused uncertainly. Josh could see him mumbling softly to himself, perhaps figuring out what he wanted to say. After a little while, Johnny cleared his throat and started anew. "You wanna... come over sometime?"

Josh's heart skipped a beat. "You – you're serious?" He stammered in shock.

Johnny nodded, feeling himself smile softly. "Yeah, I promised Smokey, that I'd try to trust you, you guys more, and I guess... you guys really do, care about me. I don't – I don't really get it, but..." He fished around for the right words to finish his explanation, and spoke a simple "I'm trying."

It sounded weak to his ears, but it made Josh break out in a huge grin. That was all the confirmation Johnny needed. "That sounds awesome, buddy," Josh laughed. "Later this week for sure. I'll call you."

Johnny nodded, and the two turned and walked in opposite directions to reach their next classes. Nervous thoughts plagued both of their minds; Josh was terrified of what he might find, that had twisted poor Johnny into his present state, and Johnny was worried of how Josh would react once he knew Johnny's whole story. He hoped Josh wouldn't turn his back on him... but would Josh still think he was worth the effort after all was said and done?

Hope was a rare commodity for him these days, but now Johnny gripped any little bit of it he could find. Maybe it would help things turn out alright.

 **And that's all for now. Only one more chapter to go, and then the story truly begins!**

 **Tomorrow's Hero, signing out.**


	7. My Cry For Help

**Long chapter this time around - it was originally two, but the second one was so short I merged them together.**

 **It's also a very heavy chapter. Have those tissues ready.**

 **Simple Acts**

 _ **My Cry For Help**_

 _Your time will come if you wait for it, if you wait for it._

 _It's hard – believe me, I've tried._

 _But I keep coming up short._

" _ **Amsterdam" - Imagine Dragons**_

 **xxXxx**

"So... this is your house?" Josh asked. Given his own high-class childhood, he hoped that the comment hadn't come across as condescending.

Johnny's house was... well, it wasn't bad-looking by any stretch of the imagination. It was an attractive shade of green, obviously well cared for, with a healthy-looking lawn stretching out in front of it (Josh was pretty sure the grass was synthetic, but he didn't think it appropriate to ask). But it was a little plain, and kind of small. It didn't really stand out from the other houses in the middle-class district.

Maybe he really _was_ spoiled.

Thankfully, Johnny only nodded. "Yeah... it's a nice, place to live," he said. He turned to Josh, lips curling up in the inception of a smile. "Thanks for coming over." He blurted that second part a little quickly, but Johnny couldn't help himself. He was happy that Josh cared – a little apprehensive, but happy.

Josh gave Johnny a firm pat on the shoulder. "Hey, don't worry about it, dude. I've been wanting to check out your place for a while now."

 _And hopefully, you'll give me some answers,_ Josh thought grimly. Part of him felt a little bad, like he was forcing Johnny to talk when he wasn't ready yet. But Johnny _had_ invited him over, and Josh wasn't only in this to get the other boy's story, so he could probably deal. "So, what's on the docket here?" He asked cheerfully, chasing those darker thoughts away.

The two boys started walking up the lawn toward the front door as Johnny replied. "I, uh... haven't thought – thought too hard about that," he admitted. "I have video, video games and some movies, though...

"Oh, I almost forgot," Johnny added suddenly. "I bought some stuff – some stuff for dinner, if you wanna, um, stay for that. You like, burgers?"

"I love them," Josh grinned, and Johnny sighed internally with relief. The idea to make it a dinner date had been spontaneous, born shortly after Josh had agreed to come over, and Johnny was a little afraid it would backfire – a ridiculous fear, apparently.

Johnny unlocked the front door and beckoned Josh inside, following behind him shortly. "I'm home," he mumbled under his breath.

Josh turned to look at him. "Hmm?"

"Ah, nothing," Johnny answered quickly. "So... here's my house." He gestured with his arm.

Josh looked around for a short period of time, nodding slightly at what he saw. "...Quaint," he spoke simply.

Johnny chuckled. "Only compared to yours."

"Well, that's hardly fair," Josh laughed. "Unless your parents are leaders of a nation." Suddenly, he seemed to remember something. "Oh, are your parents okay with me coming over? I don't want to impose."

"It's fine," Johnny waved it away. "They don't mind." A lie, he knew, but he wasn't ready for the truth just yet.

"Where are your parents anyway?" Josh asked. "Still out at work?"

Johnny nodded. He wasn't sure what else he could say.

Regardless, Josh seemed satisfied, and he clapped his hands expectantly. "Alright, then. What kind of movies do you have?"

* * *

"You really haven't... seen _The Hobbit,_ before?" Johnny asked as the credits started to roll on the TV screen. He and Josh had situated themselves firmly upon the living room furniture to watch, and it had been almost three hours since either of them had last moved. "It's one, of my favorites, honestly."

Josh stood up and stretched, groaning as his joints popped audibly. "Yeah. I mean, I'm a huge _Lord of the Rings_ fan, but I've never gotten around to these. It was good, though. You got the other two?"

"If you... you want to watch them, sure," Johnny said.

Josh shook his head. "Nah, I'm in more of a video game mood now. I mean, if that's cool with you." He added the second part quickly, as not to sound imposing.

Johnny's stomach growled before he could reply, and he chuckled sheepishly. "Sorry, I think games will – games will have to wait. What time is it?"

"A little past six," Josh replied, looking at a clock resting on a nearby end table.

Johnny stood up in response, shaking out the kinks that had built up over the past couple hours. "I should start those, uh, those burgers, then," he declared, making his way into the kitchen. Fishing through the fridge, pantry, and spice cabinet, Johnny organized all of his ingredients, then stepped over to the sink to scrub his hands.

Josh peeked in and watched his friend operate. "Wait, I thought your parents were gonna come home and make dinner," he stated, sounding a little confused.

"Nope. Me," Johnny replied with a shake of his head. He started to feel himself relax; cooking, along with music, was one of the things that he truly enjoyed. In the real world he was lost and skittish, but in the kitchen he had power. He had experience. This would be no trouble at all.

Johnny got out his grill pan and set it on the stove, turning up the temperature high to let it heat up. Then, tearing open the package of ground beef, he ripped the meat into four quarters and set them gently onto his cutting block. Picking up one section of beef, he began to toss it from hand to hand, so quickly that it barely had time to touch his palms. When the meat formed a satisfactory sphere, Johnny placed it gently onto the block and picked up the next section.

Josh, meanwhile, was in unabashed awe. The Johnny before him was nothing like the Johnny he'd become acquainted with, not gloomy and introspective but confident and pleasured. For Primus' sake, he was smiling and humming a tune! Was this the real Johnny, the one buried beneath the misery and doubt? Josh hoped so – he greatly preferred seeing Johnny like this.

"Oh, hey," Johnny turned to face Josh suddenly, tossing the third quarter of beef back and forth without even having to look at it. "How do you want, your burger?"

For once, Josh was the one at a loss for words. "Oh, uh... slightly burned," he managed.

"Toasted bun?" Johnny continued, pointing at a bag of hamburger buns.

"Sure."

"Cheese?"

"Why not?"

"Great."

Once Johnny had his four spheres of beef ready, he gingerly picked them up one by one and squished them between his palms into flat patties. He smoothed out their edges, then made a divot in the center of each of them with his thumb and salt-and-peppered both sides of all of them before setting them down in the now hot grill pan. The meat sizzled enticingly, and Johnny added in four hamburger buns, each one with both halves separated.

After about ten seconds, Johnny scooped the toasted buns off the pan and dumped two each onto two nearby plates, leaving only the beef to cook. "It's gonna be a, a few minutes here," Johnny turned to Josh, spatula still in hand. "Getting hungry?"

Josh was indeed getting hungry, and the increasingly strong scent of cooked meat wasn't helping any. "I didn't know you could cook," he said.

Johnny shrugged. "Well, I never told you that, I could," he replied. "But yeah, I've been cooking for years now. I think I'm pretty – I'm pretty good."

"I don't doubt that," Josh smirked. Johnny flipped a couple of the burgers, then flipped the other two about half a minute later. They smelled heavenly, and Josh could feel his mouth water. A couple of minutes later, Johnny went over to the fridge and pulled out a stack of cheese slices. He deftly placed one on each patty – making sure none of them were off-center – then covered the pan with a lid.

"About a minute left," Johnny noted. "The cheese – it has to melt."

"So, what got you into cooking?" Josh asked. "Your parents?"

Johnny didn't answer right away, and Josh realized swiftly that he'd touched something dark. But before he could recant it, Johnny gave an answer. "My – my neighbor, actually." He didn't say anything further, which both relieved and frustrated Josh. He didn't want to have to push, but if Johnny wouldn't say anything...

The minute passed by quickly, and Johnny pulled off the lid to reveal the four perfectly cooked patties with melted cheese. "That smells great," Josh smiled.

"Yep," Johnny agreed, and he slid them all off one by one with his spatula, placing each one on a bun with the utmost delicacy. He turned the stove off and moved the pan aside, then handed the plate with the slightly charred patties to Josh (his own were slightly less cooked). "Go crazy with the toppings," he urged the other boy, beckoning to the pile of shredded lettuce, tomato and pickle slices, ketchup, and mustard.

"Don't mind if I do," Josh replied, placing a little of just about everything onto his burgers and setting the buns on top. Johnny himself went for the ketchup and mustard, throwing a few pickle slices in while he was at it. He plucked two Diet Cokes out of the fridge and handed one to Josh before carrying all of his food to the kitchen table. He sat across from Josh, so they could look at each other more easily while they ate.

"Alright," Johnny beckoned toward the food. "Dig in."

Josh didn't need to be told twice. He picked up one burger and bit into it savagely, ripping off a chuck of bread, meat, and various toppings. As he chewed, his face took on a thoughtful look, his eyes widening in surprise. It made Johnny chuckle; he might have laughed outright, if not for the food presently in his mouth. No point in spraying it everywhere.

Josh swallowed at last and stared at the rest of the burger. "Johnny, this is awesome!" He raved, a huge, excited grin cutting across his face. "You gotta let me in, what's your secret? Come on, I won't tell!"

Johnny laughed. "It's nothing really. Burgers are a pretty basic recipe, and I've had, I've had plenty of practice with them. It's all about the toppings, the meat, and how they're... cooked." He took another bite of his own burger, as Josh wolfed down his first one and moved on to his second. "But I'm flattered that you enjoy it. I don't cook for other, other people often."

Josh washed his burger down with his Coke and looked Johnny straight in the eye. "Well, you should. I was watching you work, and you're a _boss_ in the kitchen. You could be famous some day."

Johnny felt himself blush. Being talked up like this... it was something entirely new to him. Still, he was happy to realize that it felt really, really good. "Maybe..." He acknowledged. "But I'm more used to, to cooking for myself."

Johnny probably hadn't meant anything by that, but Josh was smart enough to catch the significance of what the other boy had said. He'd actually been dropping hints all night – how his neighbor had taught him to cook and not his parents, how Johnny had so much skill when preparing food, and now, when he said that he was used to cooking for himself. Josh was starting to get some picture of Johnny's home life, one that he hoped was wrong but that most likely wasn't.

He wanted to say something, but what could he say at a time like this? There was no doubt that he'd hurt Johnny by asking... but Johnny didn't seem willing to volunteer more than he had to. Maybe it really was time to push a little. It didn't make him happy, but Josh didn't see another choice. He couldn't, wouldn't leave without the truth.

"Hey, Johnny?" Josh started gently. The other boy silently looked up from his second burger, and Josh forced himself not to look directly at him. "Do you know if your parents are gonna be home soon?"

Johnny rolled the question around in his head. He was tempted to simply say 'no,' but would that really help him? He'd still be running, from Josh, Smokescreen, and all of the other people who'd come to care about him.

Being cared about... it wasn't a familiar feeling to Johnny, and as good as it made him feel, there was a generous amount of fear in there as well. They all meant well, he was sure of that now, but he couldn't get his finger on _why_. It was... close, but the answer eluded him, and that was frightening.

But their company had opened his eyes a little, and shown him what the world looked like outside of his own little bubble. And thinking of that made Johnny realize that he didn't want to run away anymore. He wanted out, into _their_ world, no matter how long it took. Even if it was never meant to be.

So Johnny's response wasn't 'no.' It was something a little more detailed.

"They're not... coming home, tonight."

His response got Josh's attention in a hurry. The despondent look on his face ensured that he'd keep it.

"...Okay," Josh nodded. He wasn't sure where to go from here, but he knew he had to keep talking, or else he might lose his nerve. "Do you know when they are?"

Johnny shook his head. "They'd – they'd let me know," he answered softly.

Josh's theory, to his dismay, was gaining ground quickly. So Johnny was alone sometimes. That would explain some things. But maybe the idea was off-base – maybe his parents made sure to have time for him, too. "Are your... parents away a lot, Johnny?" Josh asked, trying not to give any questions that would dig up too much too fast.

"My dad's a – a speaker," Johnny replied. He could hear his voice starting to bog down from sadness. "On Earth. He goes, goes to universities and talks, and talks about Cybertronian culture. And my mom... I'm not sure," he admitted. "Something to do – with government in another, city-state."

Johnny sighed, and chanced a look at Josh. The blonde youth's eyes were staring wide with the dawning of a terrible realization. Johnny's voice fell to a whisper. "I, I see them every few, every few months... maybe."

To Johnny, the admission was an opening floodgate, surging past the wall of unspoken denial he'd built up without even realizing it. He leaned back in his chair as his eyes swam with tears.

To Josh, however, it was an ice-cold gut punch. Primus, he hadn't been expecting _this._ Abusive parents, he could relate to – not that he wished that on Johnny, of course – but parents who weren't even there? That was a painful new experience. "Johnny..." Josh started, but words failed him. What could he say to that? 'I'm sorry your parents abandoned you?'

"...Who takes care of you?" Josh finally got out. It was a pathetic response, and he knew it.

Johnny didn't seem to mind, though. He leaned back forward to face Josh once more, eyes still watery. "My neighbors, sort of," he replied. "The Velgers. They live a, live a few houses down. They taught me to – how to cook, take care of the house, work my, finances... I would've starved... a long time ago if not – if not for them."

"'A long time?'" Josh echoed in disbelief. "Johnny, how... how long has this been going on?"

Johnny hung his head in pain and let out a hollow laugh as the tears finally came free of his eyes. "Too long," he said simply. "Almost all my life. I could tell you, the whole story if – the whole story if you're interested."

In truth, Josh wasn't sure he wanted to hear the whole story. If there really was more to it than Johnny had already shared, then how much worse could he have had it?

"I'm not going anywhere," he heard himself saying. Very quickly, he realized that he meant it.

Johnny looked up at Josh, teary eyes widening slightly. He wiped his tears away as best he could and cleared his throat. "Okay..." he said softly, then inhaled and began to speak.

* * *

 _"I really appreciate this. I know it's kind of short notice, but-"_

 _"I know, I know, business calls. Look, I'll level with you, Jason. We both know I'm not the 'dad' kind of guy, but I wanna get to know my nephew some. I mean, how old is he?"_

 _"Five, actually. He just started first grade a couple of months ago."_

 _John didn't pay much attention to the adults talking in the other room. He was too busy exploring! What was this new and exciting place his mommy and daddy had taken him too? And that other man looked so happy to see him! There was no doubt he was going to have lots of new adventures here._

 _"Look, I'll figure something out. I'm sure I can reason with my boss a little."_

 _"I'm glad."_

 _Mommy and Daddy walked back into the living room with the other man. He was tall and kind of scary-looking to John. "Hey, John. Up here," Daddy bent down to look John in the eyes. John liked that. "This is Alex. He's my brother, and your uncle." Daddy pointed at the other man, who nodded at John and smiled. Something his smile scared John a little._

 _"Mommy and I are going away for a while, okay?" Daddy said. "Uncle Alex is gonna take care of you until we get back."_

 _"No!" John cried, hugging his daddy. "Don't go! I don't wanna see you go!"_

 _Mommy laughed gently and looked John in the eye. "Shhh, it's okay, John. Nothing's happening to us. We're just going to have a little fun. We'll be back before you know it. Until then, you can have fun with Uncle Alex! How does that sound?"_

 _John wasn't entirely happy at the sound of that, but Mommy and Daddy knew best, he figured. "Uhhh... okay," John nodded. "But you come home soon!"_

 _Mommy and Daddy laughed. "Okay, okay! We promise!" Daddy laughed. He lifted John into a big hug. "You're a very smart boy, John. Don't forget that."_

 _"Kind, too," Mommy added. "Very, very kind. And you're perfect just like that, John. You don't ever need to change a thing._

 _"Just remember to be brave, okay? There's nothing you can't do if you're a brave boy," Mommy finished, giving John a hug of her own. She set him down gently and gave him a pat on the head. "We'll see you soon, I promise."_

 _John waved goodbye as Mommy and Daddy stepped out the door and closed it behind them, leaving John alone with his new uncle. John was nervous, but he had no doubt that this was going to be fun._

* * *

"My parents didn't really step out of my, step out of my life until I... was five," Johnny began. "But they did, eventually. They dropped me, uh, off with my uncle Alex, and said that they'd, be back soon while he took, took, took care of me." He laughed sadly. "I was... so hopeful back then. I thought it'd... be an adventure."

Josh's heart sank. He didn't any help to get an idea of where this was all headed.

"And Alex wasn't so – so bad at first. He didn't talk to... didn't talk to me a whole lot, but he'd play with me if I – asked him to, and he took me wherever I needed to be." Johnny cut off with a sigh. "That lasted, a few months, I think."

* * *

 _Uncle Alex was angry. John didn't know why, but the phone had rang right after they had gotten back from school, and after Alex had gone to answer it John had heard him start to yell. He didn't understand what was happening – something grown-up, he assumed – but when John had peeked into the kitchen after the yelling had stopped, Alex was seated at the table, head buried in his hands. He looked sad._

 _"What's wrong?" John asked. "Are you okay?"_

 _Alex looked up sharply, as though he hadn't expected anybody to speak, but his fearsome gaze softened as he saw John. "It... It's nothing, kid," he sighed. "I'll take care of it."_

 _"Are you sure? 'Cause my teachers said that if you need-"_

 _"I said, it's fine!" Alex shouted. "I don't **need** anything from you!" _

_John stumbled back and fell down, hitting his back on the hard kitchen tile. It hurt, and he started to cry. Alex's words caught in his throat, and he simply sighed and stormed out of the house, leaving behind a forgotten, crying John._

 _He didn't get back until an hour or two later. John was in the living room watching cartoons when his uncle came in. His eyes were red, and he was stumbling around a little. John leaped off the couch and hid behind it, fearing another shout._

 _Alex simply stared at him for a minute and groaned softly. "Look, kid, I'm... I've just been having a rough time, alright?" He said. "I'm sorry if I scared you. My boss just hired some more workers, so my hours got cut. Pissed me off."_

 _"...When are Mommy and Daddy coming home?" John asked softly._

 _Alex looked at him in a way John didn't understand, then sighed deeply. "Not soon enough. Go to your room and take a nap. I need some alone time."_

* * *

"...And it just got worse... from there," Johnny admitted. He'd stopped crying, which was unusual to him. Perhaps he'd simply gotten so used to thinking about all of this that it didn't really hurt him anymore. He'd gone numb. He wasn't sure if that was good or bad.

"Did your parents...?" Josh asked. His eyes pleaded for a 'yes.'

Johnny, unfortunately, had none to give him. "No. They, called a lot and, and visited occasionally, but..." He trailed off, not sensing any need to finish the answer, then changed the subject. "After a while, Alex started drinking. I don't – I don't remember when, exactly," he continued, trying not to look at the crushed look in Josh's eyes.

* * *

 _Alex was in a bad mood again. He usually was, these days. He was collapsed on the couch and snoring loudly, but Johnny knew through painful experience that he could wake up at the slightest disturbance. And that was never a pretty picture._

 _Johnny didn't know what exactly was in the bottles that Uncle Alex drank from so often these days, but it smelled wretched. Like liquid nightmares, Johnny assumed. If it had the same effect on all people that it did on his uncle, then Johnny swore he'd never so much as look at the stuff._

 _The bottles were strewn all over the apartment by now; Alex rarely bothered taking them out. That made things... difficult. At present, Johnny was in the kitchen – having hidden there when he'd heard his uncle coming in – and he wanted to get to his room. Those glass bottles made a loud rattle at the slightest touch, so he'd have to avoid touching any of them. Johnny had had plenty of practice in the past, but as the number of bottles increased so too did the danger._

 _Johnny tiptoed slowly across the kitchen floor, making absolutely sure there were no bottles near wherever he stepped. Before too long, he made it to the living room, and his bedroom wasn't far. He focused on it, holding that goal in mind. Step by step by step..._

 _But then he stumbled. It wasn't enough to make him fall, but when he brought his other leg forward to re-establish his balance, he carelessly struck a bottle with his foot and sent it rolling around. It struck another bottle with a loud *clink*, which then struck a couple others before the whole thing came to a stop._

 _Time seemed to freeze as Johnny heard Alex start to wake up. Abandoning caution, the young boy darted toward his door, kicking many more bottles out of the way. Alex growled from somewhere behind him, and Johnny felt his eyes fill with frightened tears. He didn't want to be hurt again!_

 _Johnny ran into his room and slammed the door, leaning against it and breathing heavily. He couldn't relax yet – Alex was still coming, and if he decided to come in..._

 _Crying softly, Johnny prayed in silence. God, Primus, please let his parents come home and save him! He didn't want to live here anymore!_

 _Eventually, Alex stumbled away from the boy's room, grumbling darkly. He was going back to sleep, Johnny was sure. And Johnny himself was stuck in his room until dinner, whenever and whatever that would turn out to be. Something from a convenience store as usual, he was sure._

 _Not for the first time, Johnny wondered where his mom and dad were. They hadn't visited in months... was that normal? He didn't think so; most of the other kids had moms and dads who were there, who picked them up every day with happy smiles on their faces._

 _And not for the first time, Johnny wondered why his parents couldn't bother doing that themselves._

* * *

"It all-" Johnny's voice cut off with a choking sound, and he bowed his head once more, trying to rein his emotions back in. As the memories resurfaced for him, his breathing became fast and sharp, too much so for his own comfort. No, he had to stay together. He couldn't fall apart now.

Even if that option was so very enticing.

Johnny dimly heard Josh shift, and before he knew it the other boy's arm draped over his shoulders in an embrace. Johnny's breath caught. "Josh, why-"

"Don't," Josh murmured. "Just... I shouldn't have done any of this. I'm sorry, Johnny."

Johnny was stunned by the apology, by the pain in Josh's voice. He pulled away slightly to look the other boy in the face. His eyes were watery, like Johnny's, although no tears had spilled yet. "Why? What do you, have to say sorry for?" Johnny asked, genuinely confused.

"I didn't listen," Josh replied sadly, shaking his head in shame. "Dad told me not to force you open. He said to let you open yourself up for me, and look what I did." He laughed mirthlessly. "I turned around and practically ripped you in half. I just... I wanted to be able to do something, to stop you from feeling the way I used to.

"But I've been selfish. Really, really selfish," Josh choked out. "I didn't... I'm _sorry_ , Johnny." He turned and walked away from Johnny in self-contempt, grabbing his backpack on the way. Johnny watched Josh step out of the kitchen and into the living room, on his way to the front door.

 _Go after him!_ The voice in Johnny's head screamed. Loudly, clearly.

And he obeyed.

"Wait! Josh!" Johnny called out as he gave chase for his friend. Josh already had one hand on the doorknob when the other boy burst into the foyer, and he looked back at Johnny with a surprised gaze.

Johnny took a deep breath. Somehow, the thought of Josh leaving galvanized his thoughts. His needs. "It all fell apart when – apart when I was eight," Johnny began quickly. "That day at school, I'd-"

"Wait, wait a minute!" Josh cut him off. "What are you doing, Johnny?"

"Talking. Now, I-"

"But why?" Josh cut him off again. "I thought... I thought this was too hard for you. I mean, you barely kept it together in there, so why...?"

"It _is_ hard, Josh. I can barely – barely think about it even, now," Johnny answered. "But I can't stop." His voice tinged suddenly with a newfound desperation. "I haven't talked... about this for so long, and if I stop – now I'll never get back, back the nerve to start over. Please, _please_ don't go just yet."

Josh stared back, caught off guard by Johnny's heartfelt plea. He could sense Johnny's yearning, not just in his words but in his eyes. Johnny didn't want him to go yet.

And against his slightly better judgment, Josh decided not to. He moved away from the door, watching Johnny relax slightly in response. He still wasn't sure he wanted to hear the end of Johnny's story... but at this point, he owed it to the guy.

Johnny, having calmed down some, resumed speaking. "One day, when I was eight, he wound up, uh, hitting me in, in the eye. It left a bruise, and at school the... next day, the teacher asked me where I got it." Johnny's gaze slunk downward. "I didn't... know what would happen, so I told, told her the truth. She got this look on her face, I can't even describe it, and sent me down to the – down to the office. I stayed down there for a while, and no one would – would tell me what was happening.

"After a while, Alex came in, and he and, he and some of the teachers got in – a fight. I didn't hear anything, but I've pretty... much figured out what it, was about since then." Johnny gingerly fingered the side of his head as the anxiety bubbled up inside of him like lava. "Then he came at, at me with a beer bottle – I don't even know how he got it in – and he pinned – he pinned me down and – and-"

* * *

 _"Let me go!" Johnny screamed as the fingers dug into his throat. He heard screaming from somewhere nearby, but his mind was getting woozy and he couldn't find the source._

 _"You think you know me?!" Alex snarled. "Lemme tell you something. You have no idea what I'm capable of!"_

 _Johnny cried out again, and then-_

 _CRACK!_

 _It all went black._

* * *

"...He... he hit you?" Josh whispered, his face a horrified mask. Johnny wasn't looking at him anymore; his eyes had migrated downward yet again. "With-with the bottle?!"

Johnny nodded painfully. "Right here." He pointed to a spot on his head, just above his left ear. "I woke up in the – in the hospital. My head hurt... and it's been hurting, ever since."

The brown-haired boy leaned listlessly against the wall. "Oh, my parents did come back for a while after that," he added for the sake of completeness. "They brought me back here, helped me some with my migraines and aphasia. But about two years later, they said they wanted to get back to their careers... and here I am now."

And with that, he was finished. Despite his initial reservations, Johnny actually did feel a little better than he did before. Still nowhere near okay, but he felt... a little lighter now. As if he'd found a way to offload some of the burden he'd been carrying.

Josh looked... a lot of things, actually. A great deal of it was sorrow, but there was plenty of anger and shock as well. The way all of them fought for dominance on Josh's face was a little disturbing. In the end, sadness won for the time being, and the elder boy strode forward and gently placed his hands on Johnny's shoulders. He still didn't speak – the words failed him, and he couldn't help but despise himself a little for that.

Johnny didn't seem to mind too much, though. If anything, he looked a little happy that Josh had stuck around. Still, after a while of silence he started to get a little unnerved. "Josh?" He asked, confused. "You okay?"

"...You were ten?"

Johnny raised an eyebrow. "Hmm?"

"When they left," Josh replied, staring at Johnny. There was a new intensity in his eyes, a frightening one. "You said you were ten years old, right?"

Johnny nodded, unable to find words.

The sadness – the _regret_ – in Josh's eyes was heartwrenching. "When I was ten, I got a new family," he whispered. "And when you were ten? You lost yours. How is that fair?"

Johnny wasn't sure how to respond, but he figured he had to say something. "Well, my parents are dead, just... gone. I mean, I don't see them a lot, but they come by more than they used to-"

 _"That's not a_ _ **good**_ _thing, Johnny!"_ Josh exploded, causing the younger boy to jump. "I mean, Primus, this is your family! What's wrong with these people, just abandoning their own son! And after his own uncle tried to beat his head in! Parents aren't _supposed_ to do that! They're supposed to _be_ there for you! Always!"

Josh panted after the end of his short tirade, still brimming with anger. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he worried about how Johnny would react to what he'd just done. What he'd just said.

Laughter, of all things, was not on that list, but that didn't stop Johnny. The boy chuckled to himself, his bitter laughter completely devoid of any joy. Striding over to the nearby staircase, Johnny sat down upon the first one, still laughing softly. Josh, utterly confused, followed suit and sat down next to him, awaiting an explanation.

When Johnny finally finished laughing, he sighed and turned slightly toward Josh. "You were right," Johnny said. "They... abandoned me, didn't they?"

Any residual anger Josh may have held drained away instantly at those words. It was all replaced, by a sudden, freezing guilt. "Johnny? Johnny, I swear I didn't-"

"Don't," Johnny cut him off with a halfhearted hand wave. "Nothing you said... nothing you said was wrong. They left me." He said it so simply, so matter-of-factly, that had Josh not seen the sorrowful look on his face, he might have assumed Johnny simply didn't care. "I've known – that for a, a while. They're not coming back, for me. I guess... there was just a, a little part of me that was hoping... hoping otherwise."

In response, Josh slung his arm around Johnny's shoulders. It was the only thing he felt he could do. "Johnny, why don't you talk to them? Tell them how you feel."

Johnny snorted. "They made their choice. They didn't, pick me," he replied bitterly. "Besides, what do they, do they have to come back to?" He turned to face Josh head-on, showing his eyes at last. "I'm _broken_ , Josh."

Josh actually recoiled at the look on Johnny's face. His eyes were gloomy and dim, smothered by the years of pain and despair that he'd forced himself to recount so quickly. At the same time, his mouth was curled upward into a faint, sad smile. Josh couldn't lie – it frightened him to see his friend with such a face.

Johnny wasn't grieving. He wasn't depressed. He had _surrendered._ He'd been forced for all his life to believe that he was worthless, that his parents would never want him. That he was _broken._ And somewhere along the line, he'd made himself accept it.

Josh couldn't help but wonder. Was this something that Ultra Magnus had seen in him when they were getting to know each other? Josh had always thought he'd been unruly as a kid, trying so hard to be tough, but he remembered very well the times when he'd let his facade fall. He'd been so scared of so many things back then, no matter how deeply he tried to bury them. Had he ever looked at his father the way Johnny was looking at him now? With such hopeless eyes?

There was a cold, almost physical presence around the other boy now, even as he broke eye contact to look back down at his knees.

"Johnny..." Josh started softly.

"Yeah?"

"...I'm your friend."

Johnny's eyes widened as he turned back toward Josh. "Oh, uh, thanks." He smiled slightly, a genuine, happy smile.

"And not just me. Everybody," Josh forced himself onward. "Bee. Smokes. Bluestreak. Terry. Abigail. You've got friends, Johnny. People who'll be there for you, no matter what. Even if no one else will. I promise." He turned bodily to face Johnny head-on and placed his hands firmly on the boy's shoulders, willing his emotions – and his sheer desire to help – to penetrate Johnny's cold, hard shell.

And although he couldn't tell right then, Johnny did feel more at ease. He was surprised, maybe a little off-kilter, but grateful to the boy who was trying so very hard for him. "So... are you gonna tell anybody, tell anybody about me?" He asked.

Josh seemed to waver just slightly at that. Apparently, he hadn't thought that far ahead. He opened his mouth to speak, but Johnny quickly cut him off. "I mean, I don't mind. I was just... maybe it'll be nice," he managed to slip in. "A good change."

Josh sighed. "I hope so. Anyway, I should... probably get going. I have stuff to do tonight." He stood up almost reluctantly and started toward the front door. Johnny watched from his place on the stairs. As Josh's hand closed around the doorknob, he stopped one last time and turned back toward the other boy. "You gonna be okay, Johnny?" He asked gently.

Johnny nodded. "I've managed for, six years now, Josh. I'll be fine."

Josh looked like he doubted that, but he didn't express it out loud. He merely added a quiet, "See you soon" and left.

Johnny turned back inward to his thoughts. This didn't feel like a mistake, it felt almost right actually. But he was still wary, and he was still nervous. No amount of consoling could make that just go away... although he certainly appreciated their efforts.

* * *

Over the next few days, Johnny felt less alone than he had in a long, long while. The texts and phone calls had started later that night, only a couple hours after Josh had left. Pretty much everybody Johnny had met over the past couple of weeks was checking in on him nowadays, and a number of people that he'd never even heard of were following suit. Even Magnus left him a message, a pep talk telling him to be strong and promising him whatever help he needed.

But the most fervent of them all was easily Smokescreen. He was among the first to check up on his human friend, and even with all of the other attention Johnny was getting, he seemed to be doing anything he could to stand out from the pack. He texted and called Johnny whenever he had time, and his visits increased from ever the weekend to daily, even if it was only for a short while to chat.

Johnny was a little worried with how much the Autobot was pushing himself – what with his night job coupled with his visits – but Smokescreen gently brushed the subject away every time it was brought up, assuring him he could always recharge later. Evidently, Johnny's health came first to him, which Johnny could understand on some level. Cybertronians were built to last much longer than humans ever could.

And Johnny genuinely enjoyed the attention Smokescreen was giving him. He'd been a little overwhelmed by it at first, but as he thought about it, remembering back to the days they'd spent together, it made more sense than he'd initially realized. He recalled Smokescreen's excitement upon meeting him, when the Autobot knew all but nothing about him. How he'd accepted Johnny so quickly and shown real concern when the boy's nerves and other issues shown through.

He'd been enthusiastic and willing to learn about Johnny. He still was, actually. He was sweet and accommodating, offering suggestions for things to do together and allowing Johnny to make choices for the both of them.

Smokescreen didn't push Johnny around or demand anything. He was charming with a great sense of humor. He paid attention to Johnny's quirks and remembered them. And he acknowledged those quirks without so much as a sliver of mockery.

And he... well, he _cared._ Even when – especially when – Johnny felt he shouldn't. That alone was nothing short of fantastic. It was a new kind of relationship for Johnny, one where he didn't feel like he had to hold anything back.

So they hung out, and when they couldn't do that, they'd call or text. Johnny learned that Smokescreen had a second older brother by the name of Prowl who also worked for Ultra Magnus (a big stick in the mud, as Smokescreen described him, but not that bad once you knew him), he trained in the Cybertronian Elite Guard, and he loved human movies and literature, especially the fantasy genre. He lived in an apartment with another Autobot named Bulkhead, a construction worker on Cybertron, who'd apparently had to suffer Smokescreen talking about Johnny a lot recently. He liked salty foods like aluminum crackers, and he loved winter but had never seen real-life snow.

Smokescreen, in return, learned that Johnny's favorite band was Imagine Dragons, that he hoped to be able to play all of their songs on guitar someday, and that he used to dye his hair but had gotten bored of it a while ago. He liked stories with romances in them – provided they were done well – and he was a decent singer. He preferred sweet foods, especially brownies (although he was impartial to fruit as well), and he'd never ridden a roller coaster before.

Smokescreen had sworn there and then to remedy that last bit someday.

Things had gone by largely the same as usual until the following Sunday.

* * *

" _No_ , Johnny."

"Come on, please?" Johnny begged, looking wistfully out the passenger seat window. "It's for my collection!"

"I don't care what it's for. The day I let you go out there is the day I paint myself pink with rainbows!" Smokescreen replied firmly, doors remaining decidedly locked. They'd been on their way back from the downtown arcade, where they'd spent the day more or less fooling around. Smokescreen had glued himself to the shooting games, while Johnny had tried out some of the other games like the crane machine (Josh had warned him in advance that it was rigged, but Johnny had managed to win a stuffed turtle regardless, so he was feeling fine).

Along the way, Johnny had thought of one other place he wanted to stop by, and he'd asked Smokescreen to take him there while candidly avoiding stating the name of the place. Of course, now that they were there, it was another story.

"I think you'd look good, good in pink and rainbows," Johnny stated quietly. "Why don't you come with me, if you're, nervous?"

"Johnny, it's not about nerves. You think there's a reason why people don't go to Maximo Park? Just look at it!"

And Johnny had indeed looked at it. Maximo Park was a far cry from the glory of Solus Park, or Micronus Park, or any of the others Johnny had seen. For one thing, it was a lot dirtier; litter and pieces of scrap metal were scattered all throughout the overgrown metallic grass. There was graffiti painted upon the demonic, spiky statue of Liege Maximo, the Prime said to have shattered the unity of the Thirteen untold eons ago. The whole place reeked of coldness and desolation.

"Good people don't go to Maximo Park, Johnny," Smokescreen stated. "Good people drive past it without looking, and that's exactly what we're gonna do!" His engine started to rev.

"Wait!" Johnny blurted. "At least roll – roll down a..." He cut out as the panic made his mind short circuit, and he groaned meaninglessly in opposition.

Fortunately, that was all it took for Smokescreen to cut his engine. "Whoa, whoa, it's okay. I'm sorry," the Autobot murmured, voice changing instantly from forceful to soothing. "It's alright. Take your time."

Johnny took a breath and ran his intentions through in his head a couple of times before trying again. "At least... roll down the window. Please?" He asked nervously.

"...Yeah, yeah. You got it," Smokescreen continued gently, retracting the window near Johnny's head with a _whir_.

Johnny leaned out the side, pulling out his phone and pointing it toward the faraway statue. He took the picture with a snap, then leaned back in to look at it. "Hmmm... not my best shot," the human admitted. "But I'll take, it."

Sensing that the boy was done, Smokescreen began to drive away. "Hey, what was this all about?" He questioned the boy. "Is taking pictures a hobby or something?"

"Not really," Johnny answered, shaking his head in the negative. "I just thought a... while ago that it'd been fun to take – fun to take pictures of all the Prime statues. Liege Maximo, was my eighth."

"Sounds fun. You got a shot of the Optimus statue yet?" Smokescreen asked, suddenly sounding very excited.

Johnny shook his head again. "Saving him for last."

"Best for last, huh? I like that."

Johnny nodded silently. The way he'd stalled out earlier was fresh in his mind. He knew he shouldn't have cared about it nearly as much as he did, but it was an old wound, one that had barely begun to heal in recent days. It still hurt when it was agitated.

His silence and change in demeanor hadn't gone unnoticed, but Smokescreen was oddly quiet. Johnny wished he'd say something. Even if it was just a simple joke, it would've done wonders to break his funk.

They were back at Johnny's before too long, and Johnny unbuckled and grabbed his prizes. "Thanks, Smokey. I had a... lot of fun today," he thanked the Autobot, as sincerely as he could. He opened the door and stepped out.

"Not so fast, Johnnytron," Smokescreen spoke up without warning, as Johnny's hand rested upon the door to close it. The boy looked at the sports car in confusion, and Smokescreen continued. "You're feeling sad, aren't you?"

Johnny opened his mouth to lie, but decided against it. "A... a little, yeah," he admitted quietly.

"Well, that just won't do," Smokescreen replied firmly, transforming into his bipedal mode and looming over the boy with a rare serious look on his face. "There's no way I can let you go for the night when you're all sad. That'd just make _me_ sad." He knelt down slowly, catching Johnny's gaze and refusing to let go. "What's on your mind, kiddo?"

The look on the Autobot's face, that look of compassion and concern, was comforting to Johnny. He drew upon it to give him strength. "You and the others... you've all been doing, so much for me. In the – the past few days... I've felt welcomed by, more people than I've ever felt before..." He shook his head sadly. "But it doesn't change... it doesn't change who I am. I want it to so badly, but at the end of the day I'm still a – a messed up kid, with a messed up home, and... and a messed up head. And that sucks."

Johnny broke eye contact with the robot and looked away. He forced himself not to cry – he could stand crying in front of a lot of people, but not Smokey. So instead, he looked down at his hands. They were shaking, not hard, but still. Looking closely, they seemed so fragile.

He half-expected to feel the Autobot's hand curl around him in another pseudo-embrace, but Smokescreen had another plan in mind. His hands curled gently around the little human and lifted him into the air, making him yelp loudly. "Smokescreen, what are you-"

Smokescreen tucked the boy gently against his chest plates, cradling him more carefully than he'd ever done before. Johnny was dumbfounded – what was he supposed to do in response to this? He ultimately chose to accept it, to take in as much as he could while he had the chance.

Holding his breath, Johnny placed an ear to Smokescreen's chest. He could through the metal the chaotic yet rhythmic workings of the Autobot's internal systems – a whir there, a click or two there, and a deep humming sound that underscored it all. Something about it tugged painfully at Johnny's heart.

"Johnny," Smokescreen spoke at last, his voice vibrating through his metal frame. It felt funny against Johnny's body... but not in an unwelcome way. "Listen to me, buddy. All that stuff you said about yourself, it's wrong. Every bit of it. You're not messed up. You're not..." The Autobot fished around for the right words. "Whatever happened to you in the past doesn't matter anymore. That's why it's the past. And that's not what you are. You're not your past, or your depression, or – or your limitations. You're _you_. Confusing, frustrating, _amazing_ you.

"And you can't give up. Optimus never gave up, and neither did any of us, and look where it got us. We got our home back. You just... you have to stay strong, Johnny. I know what it's like to feel weak, like you'll never be able to do anything, but that's not true. All those years you've been holding on? There's no way you couldn't be strong and come out the other end of that. We all believe in you, buddy. _I_ believe in you."

Johnny looked up at the Autobot holding him, and the sheer, adoring love in his optics was enough to steal Johnny's breath away. It was so alien to the boy that he couldn't help but look away from its intensity. "I... thank you," Johnny hiccuped. There was nothing else he could say, not to all of that.

Smokescreen set Johnny back on the road, just as gently as he'd picked him up. "Hey, look at me," he ordered the boy softly. Once Johnny complied, the metal giant continued. "You're gonna be okay. I promise, we'll do whatever it takes to make it all okay. You hear me? You're gonna have a happy ending, even if I have to shake hands with Unicron to get it."

The human looked oddly thoughtful at that oath, and he wandered back across the lawn to his front door whilst formulating his response. After what seemed like an agonizing stellar cycle for Smokescreen, Johnny turned back around, a grateful smile on his face.

"You know, I gave up, on happy endings long ago, Smokey," he confessed. "I've just – just been holding out for a bittersweet one." He shook his head in faint amusement. "Maybe I should, start believing again."

And then he walked inside and closed the door behind him, leaving Smokescreen outside and alone in the cold.

Smokescreen felt the cold much deeper than he usually did. His teeth ground together in torment, and for the first time in a long time he felt coolant pooling underneath his optics, threatening to spill. He wiped it away furiously and transformed, driving away from the human he'd been trying so desperately to help. Words from their past conversation echoed in his mind. The same words over and over again.

 _You're gonna have a happy ending..._

Smokescreen sent a call to Ultra Magnus. "Hey, Magnus? This a bad time?"

 _"Is there a problem, Smokescreen?"_

That boy deserved the happiest of endings. If his own parents couldn't be bothered to provide that, Smokescreen would have to do it instead.

"Yeah... how did you become a foster dad?"

 **And now, the story begins in earnest.**

 **Tomorrow's Hero, signing out.**


	8. His Resolution

**Simple Acts**

 _ **His Resolution**_

 _If you fall, stumble down_

 _I'll pick you up off the ground_

 _If you lose faith in you_

 _I'll give you strength to pull through_

 _Tell me you won't give up cause I'll be waiting if you fall_

 _Oh you know I'll be there for you_

" _ **Save You" - Simple Plan**_

 **xxXxx**

"You'll have to undergo thirty hours of training after your orientation meeting," Prowl listed.

"Got it," Smokescreen nodded.

"And a home study. You'll need to get his room ready."

"Yeah, yeah, I got it," Smokescreen repeated. "What else?"

"Smokescreen, will you take this seriously?" Prowl growled, shooting his younger brother a glare. "This is not something you can approach halfway and just be done with. We're talking about fostering a human child! Primus, did you even _think_ before opening your-"

"Yeah, I _thought,_ Prowl!" Smokescreen snapped back. Prowl was caught unaware and actually stumbled slightly. "I _thought_ that Johnny's a good kid who hasn't earned half the slag he's been through! I _thought_ when he was putting himself down, calling himself messed up! And I _thought_ when he told me he didn't believe in a happy ending anymore!" Smokescreen was sure he'd disturbed plenty of people throughout the mansion, but that part of his processor was easily ignored.

He cycled a slow, forceful ventilation and spoke more calmly. "Look, Prowl, I know this seems like a dumb move, but Johnny's a really sweet kid, and he's been putting up with scrap left and right his entire life. If something doesn't change for him, then..." He shuddered at the thought. "He needs an out, Prowl. Somebody needs to give him an break, and I want to be that guy. If I can just get that chance, I think I can really help him. _Please,_ Prowl." Smokescreen pleaded softly.

There was silence in the hallway as the two brothers stared each other down. Prowl's gaze was serious and calculating, and Smokescreen's desperate and hopeful. Prowl was the one to speak first. "Smokescreen, I don't pretend to understand your motivations, but I believe I have the right to be concerned," he replied, his tone tough but not unyielding. "Raising you was... difficult. I know what it means to be a guardian, and it's not the same as merely being a friend or an acquaintance.

"That boy, Johnny, will be relying on you more than anybody you've ever known," the officer continued. "And you will have to help him, however he requires it. You will be his protector, his friend, his anchor, and if it ever comes to that point, his father." Prowl shook his head, the first vestiges of sadness breaking into his expression. "And if anything you've told me of him is accurate, then he will only need you more. It may very well be the greatest trial of your existence. I've done it, and Bluestreak has done it with me, but as your older brother I cannot merely allow you the same courtesy. You need to want this more than anything, and I need to know that you do. If you can't show me that, then the entire idea is a waste of time. Think about it – _truly_ think about it, before you make any decision."

Smokescreen did think about it. He thought about the days he'd spent with Josh, keeping the young boy company back when they'd first met. Josh had needed somebody then as well, and Smokescreen had tried his damnedest to fill that role for him. The human had been tough to manage at times, but Smokescreen had never had any major problems with his behavior, and he'd come to see Josh as one of the best friends he'd ever known.

But Johnny would be different. When Smokescreen got right down to it, he'd never really had to handle Josh at his worst; that was Ultra Magnus' area. While Smokescreen honestly couldn't see Johnny with a bad side, the fact remained that he'd have to be the one to deal with it when it reared its ugly head. He'd have to be the one who helped Johnny with his trauma and took care of him when he was sick. Josh never counted on him like that, but Johnny would be another story altogether.

Well, he might be able to get Bulkhead to help out with some of that, actually. And Smokescreen was sure his brothers would help out when push came to shove. But Johnny would be his responsibility above all.

And to his surprise and relief, Smokescreen realized that he wished for that very, very much.

He met his brother's gaze, feeling suddenly much older. "I still want this, Prowl. I don't care if it'll be an uphill battle, I'm gonna do this. I'm gonna get that kid his happy ending, even if I have to do it all on my own."

Behind his visor, Prowl's optics widened slightly. The mech before him looked so much like the younger brother he'd cared for so long ago, but he spoke with a gravity that took centuries to fully flourish. In that moment, Smokescreen almost reminded Prowl of Optimus.

The officer Autobot sighed, shaking his head slightly. "...You're wrong about doing this on your own, by the way," he said. "There's no chance that Bluestreak and I would refuse to aid you at a time like this."

In an instant, the weight Smokescreen had been carrying shortly ago vanished, replaced by his usual youthful excitement. "Seriously? You'll give me a hand with this?" He asked, practically bouncing with joy.

"Within reason," Prowl clarified. "I want to see you do most of the work yourself, although I certainly can't speak for Bluestreak..." He added the second part in a low mumble, then returned to his normal volume. "You _have_ informed Bulkhead about your plans, have you? He's your roommate, after all."

"Oh, yeah, yeah," Smokescreen nodded. "Magnus made me talk to him about it before he'd tell me anything else. He was..." The younger 'Bot trailed off sheepishly. "Well, I certainly don't think he was expecting it. He got kinda ticked that I tried to go over his head, but I'm pretty sure I talked him into considering it. He still wants to meet Johnny before anything serious happens, though."

"A desire that I share," Prowl mused, placing a fist to his chin in thought. "Which reminds me, what exactly is your plan for the boy while you're busy in the application process? He won't be allowed to stay in his own home once he becomes a foster child."

At that, Smokescreen's face fell. "I don't know, honestly," he admitted. "I mean, I don't like the idea of leaving him in the youth sector, even for a while. He's already been alone for too long, but... I can't think of anything else."

He was expecting Prowl to be disapproving, maybe even angry, but he could only see acceptance in his brother's visor. "We can discuss possibilities later. You'll have enough on your plate as is for the time being."

Smokescreen's optics widened. "You mean...?"

"I still don't fully accept the validity of what you're attempting with this... but I suppose trying to stop you would be pointless," Prowl answered, giving his brother the smallest of smiles. "Magnus is waiting for you in his office. Don't mess this up after coming so far."

Smokescreen broke out into a huge grin, practically vibrating with energy, and with a cry of "Bro!" he pounced on his sibling in a massive hug. "Thank you! Thank you so much! I won't let you down, I swear!"

"I don't believe you will," Prowl assured him, pulling away when he felt that he could. "But before you go running off, I do have one other question for you." Once he was certain he had Smokescreen's attention, he continued. "Why this boy, Smokescreen? I know you love younglings, but you've never shown the slightest interest in fostering anybody before now. What makes this boy any different?" It wasn't meant to be cold, simply a request for information.

"Because..." Smokescreen began, fishing around for the right words to explain his reasons. It took some time, and when he started to speak again Prowl noticed he'd grown sad. "He's alone, Prowl. He smiles and has a good time when we're around, and I can _see_ his eyes light up whenever one of us comes to visit. Like it's the greatest thing any of us could ever do for him. But when it's time to go... he gets this – this _look,_ when he thinks we're not watching him. It kills him to see us leave, and I don't know what's gonna happen to him if he has to keep going through this." The younger Autobot looked up at his brother with a tortured gaze. "He shouldn't have to be alone anymore, Prowl. I don't _want_ him to be."

The look on his faceplate stunned Prowl silent. It was scared and vulnerable, in a way that the officer hadn't seen since his brother was a youngster. Smokescreen may still have been relatively young, but he was far from perfect. He had doubts and fears, and sometimes he was downcast. The same could be said about everybody. Prowl knew this, and he knew his little brother enough to recognize all of those things within him.

But the way he looked now, like he was only barely holding himself together... this was not the Smokescreen that Prowl knew. This boy, Johnny – Prowl knew little about him, but from what he'd been told the young man had lived a very difficult life. And something about him had wormed its way into Smokescreen and brought him to his knees.

Prowl was cold sometimes (he'd admit to that much), but never uncaring. Now more than ever, he wanted to meet the Johnny that Smokescreen had become so fixated with.

But that would have to wait. There was already another great hurdle in the way.

Prowl laid a hand on Smokescreen's shoulder, catching the younger 'Bot's focus. "Go speak to Magnus," he instructed. "You can worry about everything else when it becomes necessary, but for now focus on the most important step."

The officer was relieved to see his brother's sadness melt away, replaced by a still cautious but much more Smokescreen-like smile. "Right. Thanks, Prowl. I'll make you and Blue proud." He walked down the hallway and out of sight, leaving his elder brother with his thoughts. Perhaps not even realizing that Prowl's spark was already filling with satisfaction.

There were many ways this could all go very wrong, Prowl knew... but he'd thought the same about Josh and Magnus, years ago. He'd have to see how everything played out.

* * *

As school let out for the day and the students all moved on to the next part of their afternoons, a small group of friends strolled out the front door and down the steps, locked in a riveting conversation...

"What do you mean, you don't like Halloween?" Abigail asked, just on this side of scandalized. "You get to dress up in costumes, people give you _free_ candy. It's the best damn day of the year, Johnny."

"Yeah, what's up with that?" Terry added, cocking his head in a teasing manner.

"I didn't say I don't like it," Johnny replied. More and more, he was starting to get used to the whole concept of friends teasing friends like that. Not long ago it probably would have made him cagey, but in the present it didn't bother him that much, and he was grateful for that. "I just... it's never been an important, day to me. I've only trick-or-treated a... few times in my life, and the kids in my sector grew up long ago, so I don't give out – much candy nowadays. There's just no, just no significance attached to it for me, that's all."

Abigail, Terry, and Josh ruminated on that for a little bit. "That's... kinda sad," Josh responded.

Johnny nodded. "Maybe, but it means I can sit around... and watch scary movies, all night instead." He turned to his friends, smiling slightly. "Ever seen _The Cabin in the Woods?_ " They all shook their heads. "It's great, you should."

"We'll keep that in mind, then," Abigail smiled. "Anyway, my mom's here. I gotta head." She waved goodbye and ran out toward a green and blue convertible.

"Speaking of moms, there's mine," Terry pointed to a woman standing outside a gray station wagon. He looked at Josh and Johnny with a hesitant expression. "You guys think I should tell her about that test I bombed?"

"I would," Johnny replied.

"Try to butter her up first," Josh advised. "Aren't you pretty good at that?"

"I used to be, but she's gotten real good at catching scrap I throw her way," Terry grimaced. "I'll figure it out. Later." He left as well, leaving only two.

Before they could chat any, the familiar truck form of Ultra Magnus drove up to the curb... followed by another, less-expected one.

"Why's Smokescreen here?" Josh asked, turning to Johnny in puzzlement. Johnny just shrugged, but the sudden opening of the sports car's passenger door cut off any further discussion.

"Hey, Johnny! Come on in! You're riding with me today," Smokescreen called.

The two boys looked at each other, and Josh smirked. "Hey, don't wanna keep him waiting." With that, he strode over to Magnus and hopped inside. Johnny was still confused, but if that was going to be the case, he reasoned, he might as well be confused with other people. He slid into Smokescreen's passenger seat and buckled up.

"What's up, Smokey?" The boy asked. "You never... pick me up from school."

"Yeah, but this is a special day, Johnnytron," the Autobot said. "Wouldn't be doing it right if I didn't pick you up myself." Johnny couldn't miss the sincerity in his voice. He'd heard it from Smokescreen before, whenever the 'Bot was doing something particularly heartfelt for him. What would it be this time?

Magnus drove away with Smokescreen following in close pursuit. Before too long, it became very apparent to Johnny that they hadn't come by to take him home. "Smokey?" Johnny whimpered slightly. "Where are, we going?"

"Don't be scared, little man," Smokescreen replied soothingly. "I'm just taking you to Magnus' place. He and I have been chatting lately, and I asked him to give me a hand with something. Something that involves you. And, well, you kinda need to be there for it."

"What are you, you talking about?"

Smokescreen took in and then let out a slow ventilation. He'd rehearsed this part in his head plenty of times already, but in reality he still felt far less than confident. "I'm saying..." he started hesitantly. Mentally, he beat himself up for it. He couldn't afford to hesitate! Prowl had said it, Magnus had said it. He had to _want_ this with every circuit in his body.

And Primus help him, he _did_.

"I want you to come live with me!" It all came out at once in a forceful shout.

Johnny was shocked, both at the intensity of what Smokescreen had said as well as the content. He wanted Johnny to... "What?" The human asked, unsure if he'd understood his robot companion.

Smokescreen sighed. "I... I wanna foster you. I've been talking about it with Magnus, and he promised he'd help me through the process."

"You want to, you want to take me in?"

"Absolutely," the Autobot replied in an instant. The way he felt at the thought of having Johnny under his roof... it was warm and joyous. It reached all the way down to his spark.

A holoform arm, unwrapped by its usual holograms, materialized out of thin air and ever so gently gave Johnny's hair a tussle. The boy's eyes widened, but more than anything it was out of surprise. It felt wonderful, and he didn't want it to end.

"I can't fix your past, Johnny. I know that," Smokescreen sighed, still tussling the young man's hair. "But like pit I'll sit back on my skidplate and make you keep dealing with it all on your own. I don't want that for you, and you sure as slag don't deserve it. So yeah, I want to take you in. That okay with you?"

"...How would you?" Johnny responded eventually. It wasn't the question Smokescreen had been expecting. Knowing Johnny, he'd been more prepared for a "why?" This was much better, though; the boy was thinking about it, and not turning it down outright. The Autobot would still have to play his cards right, but he didn't intend to let go that easily.

"I'm not sure, exactly. It's a pretty involved process, so it might take a while to get through the whole thing." The holoform arm never ceased in its loving strokes. "But if you want this too, then I'll gladly keep the fight alive for you."

Johnny's face was a conflicted display of hope, confusion, and worry. "So you'd be my dad? But, but my parents-"

"No, no, no!" Smokescreen interjected quickly. "They'd still be your mom and dad. I'd just... I'd be taking care of you while they aren't around. Is that okay?" His voice was gentle and compliant, but underneath that was a thick current of longing. He wanted this, very, very badly.

And Johnny wasn't sure how to feel about that. It was too much like before, with Uncle Alex. He said he wanted to care of him at first, but as time went on...

Johnny wrapped his arms around himself, trying to stem his anxiousness. "Please don't, don't become like my uncle, okay?"

Smokescreen's spark shook with a mix of triumph and sorrow. "Hey, come here, little buddy," he murmured softly. The holoform arm swiftly grew into Smokescreen's full holo-body, and the 'Bot held the shaking boy against his chest. "That's never gonna happen, you hear me? I'm gonna protect you, I swear it by Primus himself. You're gonna be okay, Johnny."

Johnny's heavy breathing slowly petered out to a much more normal rate. He was still scared of a lot of things. How would his parents react to this? Would Smokescreen really be able to keep his oath, or would he crack under the pressure like Uncle Alex did? Would Johnny even be able to find a place in Smokescreen's life? But even so, the idea of living with somebody who truly cared about him – not just knowing them, actually living under their roof – was the sweetest, most enticing thing that Johnny had known in a long, long time.

"So... you won't actually, be my dad?" Johnny pulled away slightly to look Smokescreen's holoform in the eyes. In those eyes, he saw the exact same feeling – the same _adoration_ – that he'd seen in them before. Maybe things wouldn't work out between the two of them, but the way Smokescreen looked at him now gave him hope like he'd never felt before.

Smokescreen chuckled gently. "Nah, I'm not ready to be a real dad. Maybe some day. For now, I'd just be your foster dad. And, well, we can see how things go from there." He cupped Johnny's face lovingly between two hands. "But I haven't forgotten anything I've said, you hear me? One way or another, I'm gonna make sure you're happy. I promise."

Ultra Magnus' estate loomed over them. They had arrived.

Smokescreen retracted his holoform and spoke to Johnny through his dash once more. "Magnus asked me to bring you here. He wants to talk some of this stuff over with you, too," he explained.

"Does Josh know?" Johnny asked.

"Don't think so," Smokescreen replied. "But make sure I'm around when he learns, alright? I wanna see the look on his face!" He cackled deviously, and Johnny couldn't help but laugh along a little bit. "Now get on out there. We've got stuff to talk about."

Johnny nodded and slid out of the car, and Smokescreen transformed behind him. Josh and Ultra Magnus were already standing outside the mansion in wait. "I take it Smokescreen has informed you why you're here, soldier?" Magnus asked, looking down at Johnny.

"Yeah, he has," Johnny answered. He felt confident, oddly enough. More so than he could remember ever feeling before. "And... I'm ready."

The Autobot leader's face broke out into a great, warm smile. "Excellent. We can begin discussions immediately."

"Wait, discussions?" Josh cut in, looking at the three others in confusion. "What are you guys talking about?"

Smokescreen laughed. "I made a choice, buddy," he replied, looking warmly at Johnny. Even now, the boy looked so much better than before. Smokescreen couldn't have been happier. "And I think it'll be a good one."

 **This the chapter you guys were hoping for?**

 **I hate to say it, but I post this chapter with some heavy news. I think I'm starting to lose my passion for fanfiction - not just this one, but the concept in general. I'll try to keep posting, because I really don't want to just give up, but it might be a while until I can really get my thoughts together. I'll keep you guys posted.**

 **I'll try to see you soon.**

 **Tomorrow's Hero, signing out.**


	9. My Deliberations

**Hey, everybody! Still alive, still active. It's been pretty hectic in my life recently, but hopefully things are starting to get back on track. I'm not giving up just yet - sometime in the future, maybe, but that time is not now.**

 **And with that out of the way, here's chapter nine. Enjoy it, and please review!**

 **Simple Acts**

 _ **My Deliberations**_

 _I didn't know that it was so cold_

 _And you need someone to show you the way_

 _So I took your hand and we figured out_

 _That when the time comes_

 _I'd take you away_

" _ **All You Wanted" - Michelle Branch**_

 **xxXxx**

"You wanna _what?_ "

The shout was so loud and so sudden that Smokescreen and Johnny both jumped slightly. Even Magnus looked as though he hadn't been expecting it, much less from his son of all people.

At the moment, Josh's face was a one-of-a-kind perfect mixture of shock, incredulity, and bewilderment. His eyes were stretched open practically to dinner plate-size, and his jaw had dropped farther than any of the other three people in the room had thought possible. Johnny couldn't explain why, but the look on the other boy's brought to mind the image of a monkey – the kind with big, bulgy eyes and mouths that opened so far that they were practically half the size of the creature's head.

It was more than enough to send Johnny into complete hysterics. He laughed loud and long, and so violently that Smokescreen had to grab onto the back of his chair to keep it from falling over. That wasn't to say the young Autobot wasn't amused; he snickering right along with his soon-to-be ward. All the while, Ultra Magnus watched calmly from his desk. He found the whole spectacle to be oddly enjoyable, in a way.

After a little while, Johnny's laughs finally gave way to deep breaths and weaker chuckles. He gripped his knees to stabilize himself while he took in all the oxygen that he could. Tears of mirth had run from his eyes, leaving faint dark streaks down both sides of his cheeks. "Thank – thank you, Josh," Johnny gasped slightly. "I _needed_ that."

"You good?" Smokescreen looked down at him with a wry smile. Johnny nodded, and Smokescreen released his grip on the boy's chair.

"Okay, fine, fine. Laugh it up," Josh waved his hand, and then in an instant he was all business again. "But seriously, you wanna _what?_ " He looked up at Smokescreen with awestruck eyes.

"What, you didn't hear it the first time I said it?" The Autobot jabbed at Josh playfully. "Alright, pay attention this time – I want to foster Johnny." He smiled warmly down at the boy he'd grown so very fond of, and received a grateful smile in return. It made his spark surge with joy – he liked that boy's smiles. He'd have to make sure to see more of them in the future. "We talked about it on the ride over here, and we decided we'd give it a shot. I mean, I don't mean to speak for you, buddy, but-"

"It's fine," Johnny assured him. "I'll give it, a chance. I want to."

"Guys..." Josh started, at a loss for words. "This is... this is huge! I mean, I never thought Smokescreen would – and no one deserves it more than – this is awesome!" He was practically giddy with excitement, arms spread wide and a big jolly grin evident on his face. The sight of it made Johnny and Smokescreen laugh once more, and Ultra Magnus chuckled deeply as well.

"Yes, it was a surprise to me as well," Magnus admitted, drawing their attention to him. "But from what Smokescreen has told me-" He turned to face the Autobot in question, who sat up a little straighter in response. "-he appears to be very sincere in his request."

"Completely, I swear," Smokescreen replied firmly. "Whatever it takes, I'll do it. Just point me the right way, and I'll sprint there, Magnus."

"Sir," Magnus corrected him, more out of habit than anything else. "And I'm quite pleased to see just how dedicated you are to this. I assure you, the process will be frustrating at times, and it will be tedious. But if you truly can see it through to the end..." The leader turned to face his son with a loving smile. "Then it will be worth every second you spend."

The joyous look on Josh's face warmed Johnny's heart and filled him with longing at the same time. For a long time now, he'd forced himself not to look too closely at parents and their children. All it did was remind him of his own messed up home life, and Lord knew he didn't need any more things to get him down.

That feeling of longing hadn't really changed over the years, but now Johnny finally had a chance to do something about it. There was finally an open door for him amidst all of the shut and locked ones. Where it led, he had no way of knowing, but he was tired of wandering around and waiting for an opportunity that never bothered to show itself.

Did Smokescreen feel the same way? Johnny couldn't help but wonder.

"Now, down to the point," Magnus continued, growing firm and business-like. Johnny could sort of see the change in the way the Autobot sat, and the way he looked at the three others before him. "Smokescreen, Prowl has informed me that he has spoken to you about the fostering process. Is that correct?"

"Yeah," Smokescreen nodded. "He gave me the basics. I was kind of hoping you could give me a clearer picture of what to expect here, though."

"I can indeed. But it will be a long explanation, and we have other matters to speak of as well. We'll have that discussion later. As for you, Jonathan..." Magnus' gaze turned to the young man. "Once the process begins, you'll be required to stay in an already approved foster home until Smokescreen completes his part of the work. So please understand that you won't be allowed to continue living in your own home."

"Got it," Johnny said. "But where will I...?" He trailed off as his mind locked up again.

Fortunately, Smokescreen had understood the question. "The youth sector, probably. Just for a little while, until everything's done and official. Maybe a few weeks."

 _A few weeks..._ That didn't sit well with Johnny. It was foolish, probably, to not want to be alone for that time. He'd already been alone for much longer, after all. Maybe it was the unfamiliarity of the idea – he knew what it was like to be by himself in his own home, and he knew, at least a bit, what living with Smokescreen would be like. But he knew little about the youth sector. "What's it like there?" Johnny asked.

"Don't worry, it's actually not a bad place," Josh answered. "I had to stay there for a while back when Dad was working on his own application. The 'Bots there are really nice, and they'll make sure you're taken care of. Trust me, you could live someplace a lot worse."

Johnny mulled over that and sighed, fingers still pressed up against his head. "Okay. I don't – I'm still not sure, but I guess, guess if it's only for a little – while."

"Totally. And don't worry, me and some of the others will make sure to swing by when we get the chance," Josh reassured Johnny with a friendly pat on the leg.

"You'll likely have to depart sometime in the next few days, soldier," Magnus added. "So start thinking about what you'll need to take with you. They'll have living facilities there, so you won't need to bring anything like a bed. Josh can be of assistance there, I'm sure." He turned to glance at his son, who gave him a firm thumbs up in response.

"Furthermore, there are some mechs who wish to make your acquaintance in the coming days. I figured I would inform you of this ahead of time, so you would be able to prepare adequately." Magnus picked up a datapad and turned it to allow Johnny to see. It currently displayed the images of three different Cybertronians, all Autobots. "I believe you've already met Bluestreak, but I haven't heard from the other two."

Indeed, Bluestreak was one of the three mechs being shown to Johnny. His friendly but cocky smirk was captured in a small portrait next to a larger full-body image that slowly rotated on a vertical axis. Johnny looked next to the second, an austere-looking white and black-colored mech bearing a yellow visor and a star on his chest with the Autobot insignia within it. "Who's that?" Johnny asked, pointing to the 'Bot in question.

"That's Prowler!" Smokescreen chimed in. "Remember, I told you about him?"

Johnny searched his mind for a brief moment before locating the memory. "Oh, yeah. He's the stick in, in the mud, isn't he?"

Josh's sudden whoop of laughter caused Johnny to jump in his seat slightly. "Stick in the mud? Yeah, sounds about right!"

"He's also your godfather, Joshua," Magnus countered with what could have only been practiced timing. "So I'd be careful about saying things you don't wish for him to hear." Josh slunk down into his seat a bit, and Smokescreen chuckled softly.

Godfather, huh? Johnny would have to ask about that sometime. And Prowl... Johnny prayed that the mech in question would take kindly to him.

Johnny moved onto the third and final robot on display – a hulking, broad-bodied green mech whose large chin piece made discerning his expression difficult. Johnny couldn't help but think him fearsome, and his nerves began to spark once more. "Who's this? He scares me."

"Who...?" Smokescreen said, looking down at the datapad in confusion. After a brief moment, his perplexed expression gave way to a grin. "Oh, don't worry. That's just Bulkhead! You know, my roommate?"

Realizing what _that_ meant, Johnny's stomach dropped. "Your... roommate?" He gasped. Of course there had to be a catch. Smokescreen's roommate just had to be a gigantic monster of a mech – and if everything went to plan, Johnny would be living with him, too. Johnny's face pulled back into a terrified grimace at the thought.

The sight of Johnny's distress made Smokescreen frown. "Hey, come on, buddy. Don't be a downer," he chided the boy. "You've never even met him! Take it from somebody who knows, Bulk's a really sweet guy once you've gotten to know him. He may _look_ all big and tough – and I guess he kinda is – but he's a great friend, and I know you'll hit it off if you give him the chance." The Autobot smiled, hoping to soothe the boy's tattered nerves even a little.

"Smokes is right, Johnny," Josh added. "I mean, I don't really see Bulkhead that much, maybe every few months, but he's real friendly and a ton of fun. He's the last person you should be scared of, trust me."

Johnny gulped and stared at the image of the large Autobot once more. On second glance, he didn't look particularly unfriendly. More than anything else he just looked sort of intimidating, and Johnny reminded himself that that wasn't a fair assessment of whether or not he should be scared of somebody. He'd even been scared of the Velgers once, when he'd first met them, but now he couldn't imagine what his life would be like if he hadn't. Would he even still be alive?

Johnny ruminated on everything he'd heard, and reached a verdict. "Okay, I'll give him, a shot," he decided.

Smokescreen grinned, Josh gave him a firm pat on the back, and Magnus nodded in approval. "Excellent choice, Jonathan. I think the two of you will have more in common than you realize." His voice had a knowing tone, as if there was something he wasn't telling Johnny, but it was gone in an instant. "Now then, Smokescreen, I believe this would be a good time to discuss the fostering process in depth as you asked. Joshua and Jonathan, you may want to leave now. I suspect this will be rather dull for the two of you, and there's no reason for either of you to know it."

"I'm game for heading back to my room and hanging out," Josh agreed. He rose to his feet. "Yo, Johnny. Wanna come along? We could play some _Mario Kart_."

"Uh, sure. Just give – give me a minute to make a call first," the other boy agreed. The two left without another word, leaving Ultra Magnus and Smokescreen alone in the former's study. They turned to face one another, visages shifting to the situation. Magnus' gaze became firm and steely, determined to analyze the mech before him as thoroughly as possible to ensure that he held no doubts about this endeavor. If Smokescreen truly wanted this, he couldn't afford to second-guess himself. Magnus himself had learned that from his experiences with Josh.

Smokescreen's face had firmed as well. He had to show Ultra Magnus just how much he wanted this to happen. To what lengths he'd be willing to go in order to make this dream a reality.

* * *

"So now, Smokescreen wants, uh, to foster me, and I'll – I'll be going into the youth sector, for a while and I just needed... I just needed to tell somebody," Johnny spoke into his cell phone. At the moment, he was just outside Josh's room. The other boy had already gone inside, and was presently waiting for his friend before they could begin. "So what do you, you think?" He asked quietly. The person on the other line had been quiet for a while now, and Johnny was feeling unnerved.

" _Seriously? That's great, buddy!_ " Mr. Velger crowed at last, so loudly that Johnny had to pull the phone away quickly. " _We've been hoping you'd get out of that house for years, and now you are! It's about time you got a break like this, kid. Take advantage of it!_ "

"I will," Johnny promised. "But I have to ask. You're not, angry at me for this, are you?"

There was another pause. Johnny couldn't imagine what kind of face Mr. Velger could have been making. " _Angry? What do you mean? Why on Earth would I be angry?_ "

Johnny scuffed his feet on the floor, a clear sign of discomfort. "Well... you guys have, um, you've offered to take me in before, a lot actually, and I always – I said I didn't want that. But now I do, and I'm asking somebody, else and not you. I just don't know if – if that's something to be getting upset about." That wasn't wrong – the Velgers had suggested many times over the years that Johnny should move in with them. On paper, it made sense; they liked Johnny, Johnny liked them, and Primus knew he needed the attention of somebody else.

But the boy had always said no. Every time, he'd rejected their offer, electing instead to stay in the solitary confinement that was his own home. Even Johnny himself wasn't entirely sure why. Maybe he was worried about what his parents would think if they caught wind of the change. Maybe he was simply never ready for a commitment like that. The offers stopped coming eventually, as the Velgers finally accepted that Johnny wasn't interested.

And now he was calling them, saying that he'd accepted the same from somebody else – somebody that Johnny doubted they'd ever even met before. The Velgers were warm and caring people, but Johnny couldn't help but feel as though this would have to sting.

Mr. Velger let out a long sigh over the phone. " _Kid... do you remember the first time we asked if you wanted to stay with us?_ " He asked wistfully. Johnny did indeed – he'd been eleven, and after a homework session with Val ended with Johnny on the floor writhing with a headache, the girl had immediately gone back and told the elder Velgers about it. The offer itself had come later that night, in the form of a visit from Aaron and Whitney.

Johnny had been floored when they said they wished to take him in. At the time, he couldn't conceive why they'd go to such lengths for him. Perhaps that was part of why he'd refused, and more vehemently than he'd have liked to in retrospect. But they had honored his decision, if sorrowfully, and allowed him to stay. They made sure to come around a lot more often after that, however.

"I remember," Johnny replied. "I raised a... a fuss over it."

Mr. Velger chuckled. " _That you did, kiddo. I guess I get it looking back. You just weren't ready to give up on your parents yet. Somewhere in that big heart of yours you were still counting on them._ "

"I guess I was a lot, a lot stupider back then."

" _Don't say stuff like that, Johnny. You've been put down enough as it is._ " The chastisement came though loud and clear. " _And I wouldn't say stupider at all. I'd say hopeful. That's good – the world needs more people like that._

" _Look, the point here – what I'm really trying to say here, Johnny – is that the right people at the wrong time doesn't magically make them the right people._ " Mr. Velger's voice took on a sad wisdom. " _We wanted to take care of you, we really did. But you weren't ready to be taken care of. That sucks, and it does hurt, but it's not your fault. It just... wasn't in the cards._ "

Johnny was silent for a little while as he processed all of that. "I still, I still feel like I've rejected you," he admitted softly.

" _Buddy, listen here. You haven't 'rejected' us until you've turned away and forgotten everything we've told you. It's been a blast getting to know you, Johnny, and you'll always be our third kid. You were just... never meant to actually_ _ **be**_ _our third kid._ "

Something about that sparked a mix of both joy and sadness inside Johnny. He could feel tears pooling up underneath his eyes, and he wiped them away slowly. "So, we're okay?" He asked. His voice was quiet with hope.

The joy and pride in Mr. Velger's response shone through clear as day. " _Kid, we've never been anything else. Just don't forget to swing by every now and then, okay?_ "

Smiling widely, Johnny nodded. "I promise."

" _Awesome. Now, about this Smokescreen fella. Give me some details. Whitney and I are dying to hear about him._ "

Johnny shook his head in amusement. "I'm keeping a buddy of mine waiting here, so I'll give you the bare minimum for now," he said. He counted off everything he listed on his fingers as he spoke. "Autobot, works for Magnus, two older brothers, and really nice. I think – think he really wants to take care, of me."

" _I guess that'll do for now,_ " Mr. Velger permitted. " _You think you can trust him, or do we have to step in here?_ "

"No, he's been wonderful," Johnny answered immediately. "And I'm still... still nervous, but I want to try. And so does he."

" _Good to hear. Just don't forget about us, okay? We love you, Johnny. All of us._ "

"...I know. Thanks." They hung up simultaneously.

Johnny strolled into Josh's room. The other boy already had the game loaded up to the character screen. "Took you a while, buddy," Josh ribbed. "Who'd you call?"

A nostalgic smile spread across Johnny's face. "An old friend."

Josh cocked his head thoughtfully and hmmed in consideration. "You'll have to introduce us sometime. For now-" He waved a Wii Remote and Nunchuck for Johnny. "We game. Who do you want?"

"...I'll say Roy. He's my, ah, lucky charm."

 **And that's all for this time around. The next few chapters are all about Johnny getting to know the people who are itching to meet him. I'll try to get them out sometime soon, but as always I guarantee nothing.**

 **But I _will_ see you all again, I can promise that.**

 **Tomorrow's Hero, signing out.**


	10. My World Ends With Me

**Hello again, all. Got a nice, long chapter hot and ready for you. Who's ready for some uncle/foster kid bonding?**

 **Simple Acts**

 _ **My World Ends With Me**_

 _And I'm gonna say what I need to say_

 _And hope to God that it don't scare you away_

 _Don't want to be misunderstood_

 _But I'm starting to believe that_

 _This could be the start of something good_

" _ **Start of Something Good" - Daughtry**_

 **xxXxx**

Smokescreen squirmed in his seat, eyes flickering around the walls and ceiling of the youth sector's too-small main office. Cramped spaces had never been his favorite things in the world; he preferred having lots of room to move around how he wanted. Small rooms like this made him feel confined and uncomfortable. All the more reason to get this over with quickly so he and Johnny could start their day out.

Across from the desk in front of him sat an amused-looking green Autobot – Crosshairs, the mech in charge of the place. Smokescreen wasn't familiar with him, although the name rang a bell or two; perhaps he'd read about him in wartime reports or somewhere like that. "Feeling a little nervous, buddy?" Crosshairs laughed. "We've only your kid for a week. I promise nothing's happened to him that quickly."

"Well, I miss him," Smokescreen said. "And the paperwork's kicking my skidplate, so I could use having him around for a day. I'm taking him out to meet my bros."

"Meet the family. Not bad," Crosshairs nodded approvingly.

"Anything I oughta know before I take Johnny off your hands for a while?"

Crosshairs pulled out a datafile and tapped it a couple of times before replying. "Not much, really. We haven't had him long enough to spot any huge problems – ones that he and Magnus haven't told me about already, anyway. He just kinda spends a lot of time on his own, away from the other kids. Usually he just listens to music and plays games, stuff like that. Sometimes somebody catches him writing something."

Smokescreen raised an eyeridge. "What kind of something?"

Crosshairs shrugged. "Beats me. He won't show anybody. Anyway, when he does interact with others, it's almost always because they approached him first and invited him over. Even then, he doesn't talk much. Mostly he just listens and contributes every now and then."

So he was more an observer than a participant, Smokescreen noted. He could understand and respect that, although he certainly hoped that Johnny would come out of his shell sometime. He'd have a hard time meeting people otherwise. "How does he get along with people?" He asked.

"Not poorly, if that's what you're asking," replied the green Autobot. "Johnny can hold a conversation if he wants to, he just doesn't." Suddenly, Crosshairs' expression darkened slightly. "Actually, that reminds me – there is one problem. Some of the other kids have been picking on him for how he talks. You said he's aphasic?" He paused for Smokescreen to confirm it. "There are a few others who make fun of him for it. He's significantly more withdrawn whenever they're around. We've been trying to keep them apart."

"Yeah, do that," Smokescreen said grimly, feeling his teeth grit and his mouth curl up in contempt. He felt the anger rise and managed to fight it down. There would be no point in making a scene here. "Anything else I should know?"

"A few things – don't worry, it's not all bad," Crosshairs assured him. "Johnny tends to wake up screaming in the middle of the night. He says it's just because he's not used to waking up and not knowing where he is, but between you and me, I think he also has nightmares and he's too afraid to tell anybody. I know a few therapists I can tell you about if you're interested."

Smokescreen nodded silently. Having Johnny see a therapist would probably be a little expensive, but if it could help...

"His migraines have still been acting up," Crosshairs continued. "Maybe a couple of times every few days. He's been asked to keep us informed as to their happenings, and so far he's been cooperative. He's been making sure to take his medicine as well when he needs it.

"He's also a little naive when it comes to other people. He doesn't always realize when people are lying to him or teasing him. But even so, Johnny's a compassionate boy, and very smart. I've personally seen him helping other children with homework – mostly younger ones, but a few his age and some even older."

The mech set the datafile down and looked Smokescreen in the optics. "He cares about others a lot. He just has a hard time talking to them, making that first contact. Build up his confidence, help him find ways he can meet new people, and I think he'll perform really well. You found a good kid to take in, Smokescreen."

The younger Autobot was beaming by that point. Primus be damned, he was _proud_ of Johnny. All things considered, it sounded like he was doing really well so far. That was a great first step. "Sounds good. Anything else I should know?" He asked, and Crosshairs shook his head in the negative. "Awesome! In that case, it's time Johnny and I hit the road. I promised my brothers we'd meet 'em for lunch."

Smokescreen waved goodbye and ducked out of the office. Johnny, as expected, was sitting on the bench just outside, waiting for him. "So, it went well?" The boy asked.

The Autobot made a so-so motion with one of his servos. "Some good, some bad. Come on, we can talk about it on the way."

As they made their way side-by-side to the entrance to the youth exterior, Smokescreen noticed Johnny lowering his eyes to the ground timidly and thought back to what Crosshairs had told him. Kids were making fun of Johnny. Because he talked _differently_. Because his pitspawn _uncle_ had brained him when he was eight years old. Had he spotted one of those kids just now? Was that why he wouldn't raise his head?

It made Smokescreen sick. No part of Johnny was worth ridiculing, worth treating him any differently for it. That was why he'd never bothered mentioning the boy's speech impairment to his face. Of course he'd noticed it – it would have been hard not to – but Johnny deserved better than to have it dangled over him all the time. He still did.

Smokescreen pushed the exit door open and he and the kid stepped out into the cool November air. "Hey... you've been quiet for, quiet for a while," Johnny spoke up suddenly. "I don't like it. Is... everything okay, Smokescreen?"

The Autobot opened his mouth to reply, then forced himself to stop and ventilate. No, he wouldn't lose control with Johnny around. He might get a chance to do so later, but this kid didn't deserve that treatment, no matter how angry he was. Instead, he slowly transformed back down into his car mode and popped the door open. "Hop in, buddy. Let's talk," he said, unable to keep a tinge of grimness out of his voice.

Johnny looked surprised and a little worried at his friend's seriousness. It wasn't like he hadn't seen it before, but Smokescreen was usually so cheerful and energetic that he still wasn't used to anything different. The young man suspected that it had something to do with himself – it seemed he was always at the heart of Smokescreen's rare moments of sobriety.

Nonetheless, he slid into the 'Bot's passenger seat, and they took off. It wasn't until they were on the road that Smokescreen spoke again. "How long have those kids been bullying you?" He asked. No way he was letting today end without an answer.

His ward looked at him in surprise, then came to an understanding. "How – oh, right. Mr. Crosshairs told you," he muttered.

"How'd you know that?"

Johnny shrugged. "I think you two, were talking louder than you realize," he replied. "I heard everything."

"Then I'm sure you can figure out what else I'll want to talk to you about," Smokescreen said. "But back to the point – how long, Johnny?"

Johnny looked down into his lap, focusing on his hands. "About – about the first or... or second day I was here," he admitted. "The night I came here, they, uh, called everybody down and asked, me to introduce myself. A few people mentioned my, my speaking, but only a few of – only a few of them have been mean about it."

"But it's been going on ever since you got here," Smokescreen stated.

Johnny nodded. "It's only a few of them, but..." His voice petered out, and he brushed above his left ear once again.

The action screamed 'Danger' to Smokescreen. "But what?" His tone was nothing short of steely.

"Smokey..." Johnny whined.

"But. What?"

Johnny exhaled through his teeth. He hated it when people where angry with him. It always made him feel like he was being blamed for something. "When, when you were talking, uh, to Mr. Crosshairs, they – they found me waiting, outside. They told me... to get out and not, not come back."

The boy was thrust back into his seat as his friend's engine suddenly and loudly revved, sending them both surging forward. Thankfully, no one else was in front of them, and Smokescreen had the presence of mind to make himself slow down. Johnny felt like he should try to say something, but Smokescreen cut in the instant he opened his mouth.

"Don't you _**dare**_ tell me not to get mad about this, Johnny," he growled. Those little fraggers! How could they sleep knowing they were treating his kid that way?!

"Smokey, you're scaring me." Johnny's frightened whimper brought the Autobot back down to earth like a hard shot to the chest. Scrap, he couldn't afford to explode, not at Johnny. The kid needed kindness, stability, and Smokescreen had to prove that he could provide that. Coming undone would only hurt his case, no matter how _enticing_ the idea was at the time.

With notable effort, Smokescreen forced himself to cool off some – although he made a mental note to visit the shooting range downtown sometime and blow off as much steam as he could. "Johnny, I'm _not_ just going to sit back and listen to stories of you getting picked on," the Autobot said, his voice still low with anger. "If I'm gonna be your foster dad, I'm gonna do it right, and that means no sitting on my servos while some punks are busy shoving you around. If you have a problem with anybody, tell me about it ASAP. Promise me that."

Johnny was stunned. This was all still so new to him, having somebody around that he could confess his problems to whenever he needed that release. He'd always needed to be able to do that, he understood that now, but to see Smokescreen so angry at what was going on with the other kids was disconcerting and... strangely comforting. It was something to get used to, of course.

So Johnny nodded his head slightly. "I promise," he said plainly. "Now, can we please, talk about something else?"

"Gladly," Smokescreen replied, grateful for the change in conversation. "I hear you've been helping out some of the other youth sector kids with their homework."

"Every now and then, yeah," Johnny shrugged. "It's just... I have to do, do something, and it seemed like an – okay idea. Is that alright?"

"You bet it's alright!" Smokescreen declared happily. "What kind of person wouldn't a kid who's smart _and_ a nice guy? Besides, you gotta get out there and let people know about you, so why not help them out? It's a great thing, Johnnytron." The 'Bot was gushing by this point, but he didn't care. His kid was worth gushing about.

Johnny was pleased that he'd made Smokescreen so happy. It just felt right. "So, uh, where are we going?" He asked.

"The Apastron Mall in downtown Iacon," came the reply. "It's huge, and Blue and Prowler said they'd meet us there. You guys are gonna get to know each other and have some fun, and then we're all gonna help you pick out what kind of stuff you'll want in your room once you move in with me and Bulk.

"Between you and me, I wanted to just stop at the 'having fun' part, but Prowl insisted we get some actual, meaningful work done today." He scoffed. "Like spending a day out with my new kid isn't meaningful!"

But Johnny was a little busy being hung up on something Smokescreen had just said. "I can... pick out what, what I want?" He asked, as though the concept were foreign to him. "Is that okay? It'll cost a – cost a lot of-"

"Johnny, I wouldn't have suggested it if I didn't want to do it," the robot cut him off, speaking in consoling tones. "I'm not totally strapped for credits, and Bluestreak and Prowl said they'd pitch in a little bit and like Pit this isn't something worth spending money on. I want you to be happy living with us, Johnny. For now, that means letting you have the room you want. So don't worry so much about me. I'll be more than fine."

The young man opened his mouth to reply, but words failed him and he simply nodded in assent. "What about Bulkhead? He won't be there?"

"Nah, he's been busy for a while. He's just finishing up a big project," Smokescreen explained. At the confused look on Johnny's face, he elaborated further. "Bulk's a laborer. A construction bot – he builds stuff like buildings. He's been working on some new thing somewhere in Iacon for a while and it's hit the home stretch, so he's been working a lot recently. You probably won't get to meet him for a couple more weeks or so – somewhere around the end of your days in the youth sector."

That suited Johnny fine. Too many new people at once would be overwhelming, no matter how good their intentions were. Today, he'd meet Smokescreen's brothers, and Bulkhead would come some other time. One step after another.

"Speaking of the youth sector..." Smokescreen started. Somehow, from the tone of his voice, Johnny could imagine the Autobot flashing him a wry grin. "Crosshairs says you've been writing stuff these days. Care to let me in on that?"

* * *

Johnny saw the two 'Bots standing around in the parking lot before Smokescreen honked for their attention. One of them was ambling about aimlessly, servos behind their head – that was Bluestreak, Johnny realized – but the other robot was one that the boy had never met before. Tall and slender, with door wings similar to those of Smokescreen and Bluestreak and a severe expression on his face that showed no signs of budging.

It could only have been Prowl. The 'Bot looked identical to the picture Magnus had shown Johnny before. The butterflies in Johnny's belly began to act up once more.

"We're here, buddy. Try to have some fun, okay?" Smokescreen said to Johnny as he slid into an open space and came to a stop. He allowed the boy to slide out before shifting back into his robot mode and waving his brothers over. "Hey, guys! We keep you waiting long?"

"Yeah, for about ten minutes," Bluestreak ribbed. "You can expect us to hold that over your head for a while, by the by."

"Oh, come on, Blue. It wasn't _that_ bad," Smokescreen smirked, folding his arms across his chest. "Besides, you're a sniper. Aren't people like you supposed to be patient?"

" _Was_ a sniper, little brother. Now I'm a racer, and racers go _fast_." Bluestreak wagged a finger at his younger brother in a scolding way. "Besides, it was a very long and boring ten minutes. I almost had to talk to Prowl, that's how boring it was." He stated this slowly and with great emphasis, as though it was a horrifying possibility.

Johnny, meanwhile, watched the spectacle with some interest. The way the two of them traded jokes and took shots at each other without so much as a hint of malice... He'd seen that kind of relationship before in other people; plenty of his classmates seemed to treat each other that way, as did Leo and Val – the two practically lived in competition with each other. However, he'd never been so lucky as to have somebody that he could engage with in that way. Maybe some day.

Prowl, on the other hand, had apparently decided that enough was enough. "I assure you, Bluestreak, that speaking to you is far from my idea of a good time as well," he said, sounding absolutely deadpan in the process. His voice was composed and deep, more so than either Bluestreak's or Smokescreen's. It made him sound much more mature than the other two – perhaps he was the eldest?

Prowl turned to Smokescreen. "Now then, is Johnny here?"

"Yeah, I see him. He's right there," Bluestreak answered for him, pointing to the human standing slightly behind Smokescreen's leg. He strode over and knelt down in front of Johnny with a smile on his face. "Hey, kiddo. Great to see you again. I'm sure you remember me pretty well? Good ol' Bluestreak?" He put a hand next to his mouth in a mock attempt to block the sound before continuing. "By the way, if you ever want to call me 'Uncle,' that's totally fi-"

"Bluestreak, that's enough," Prowl scolded him with a light knock on the shoulder. The chastised Autobot pouted but retreated, allowing his brother to take his place in front of Johnny. "So, I take it you're the youngling that has my brother obsessed with becoming a foster parent?" The question came upfront and without any pretense to it. Johnny could only nod in response.

To his shock and immense relief, Prowl's stern visage was interrupted by a small but genuine smile. "It's very nice to have the chance to meet you, Johnny. Smokescreen has told me some good things about you, and I'm excited to meet you for myself."

"Uh... you too," Johnny replied. "Wait, hang on. What kind of things?"

"Mainly that you're an intelligent young man with a good heart and a poor track record when it comes to family," Prowl answered. "Nothing overly damning, I assure you."

"And most importantly, that you're the kind of kid that the universe really needs to cut some slack," Bluestreak chimed in sourly. "But that's why we're all here. Until the universe gets its scrap together, we're gonna do the cutting ourselves. If you'll have us, of course."

Johnny shot a quick glance to Smokescreen for reassurance, and receiving a friendly wink in return felt his doubts and confusion fade away. Smokescreen felt he could trust these people, and Johnny trusted Smokescreen. "I'd like – like that, thanks," the boy said firmly. It was just as well. Johnny really wanted to trust these two anyway. He hadn't known either of them for long, especially not Prowl, but they seemed like genuinely good people.

"Awesome! 'Cause with any luck, you'll be seeing a lot of me and Prowler here in the future!" Bluestreak cheered, smacking a perturbed Prowl on the back. "Smokey's not the only one who wants to lend a hand. You're one of us now, Johnny, and we look out for our own. Remember that."

"I promise," Johnny nodded, a little overwhelmed by all the affection that he was already getting. But it was a good kind of overwhelmed, one he wished that he could feel more. "So what's the, plan for today, exactly?" He asked.

"It's about noon now. Would you be averse to starting with lunch?" Prowl suggested. "There are a number of restaurants here that I'm sure you would enjoy."

"And then we're gonna have some fun!" Bluestreak pumped his fists into the air excitedly. "Well, and find stuff for your new home – but mostly fun! There's a movie theater in there somewhere, an arcade, the works." The racer gestured toward the massive sprawling building behind him – the Apastron Mall. Johnny could hardly fathom the size of it. His brain simply couldn't register the notion that buildings could _be_ that huge. Logically, of course, it made sense; it had to be big, to service both human and Cybertronians. But that didn't detract any from the _spectacle._

Smokescreen took note of the stupefied look on his ward's face and laughed heartily. "See what you've been missing all these years, little man? There's plenty more great stuff on this planet. Stuff you just can't see when you're stuck in the residential sector. And I'm gonna help you see it all." The Autobot's voice grew gentle and ever more sincere as he looked down upon his young charge. "I promise, Johnnytron. I'll show you the whole world someday."

And somehow, Johnny didn't doubt that in the slightest.

* * *

They'd ultimately defaulted to the food court. It had been just nearby when they went in, and it was varied enough that Johnny would have plenty of choices for a meal. It even had Cybertronian restaurants, where the robots could buy energon of various flavorings as well as other edible goodies. It may not have been a fancy restaurant, but none of the four had ever claimed to be the fancy type.

As Johnny munched on his chicken and fries, he took stock of the chaos around him. It was loud there in the food court, with all of the people having their own independent conversations, and while Johnny wasn't unaccustomed to loud noises he preferred to avoid them. They reminded him a little too much of his uncle.

It wasn't debilitating or anything, though. As long as there was no angry yelling of any sort, Johnny would be capable of adjusting.

But more than the noise, what really struck Johnny was the diversity of the crowds. He was largely used to seeing a lot of humans in his daily activities – not that he was prejudiced against Cybertronians, but most of his acquaintances were human. Josh, the Velgers, Abigail, Terry... Johnny didn't meet and remember a whole lot of Cybertronians. It simply never worked out that way.

Around and outside of the court, however, were Cybertronians and humans of many different sizes, frames, colors, and so forth. Some of them walked on their own, and some moved in groups small and large. Johnny was fairly certain that he saw a few couples as well, both single-species and mixed. He'd never seen any Cybertronian-human couples in person before, although he certainly knew that they existed in moderate abundance.

The whole experience was simple, yet so eye-opening. Before then, Johnny had never realized just how profoundly little of the world he'd seen, even after sixteen years of life. It was frightening to think that he still had so much to discover. But maybe a little at a time would make it alright.

Smokescreen downed his energon in one long gulp and slammed the empty cube down onto the table, rousing Johnny from his thoughts. "Whoo, that was good!" The Autobot breathed, shaking his helm with a fervor. "How're you guys doing?" He looked over to his brothers, both of whom were still drinking from their cubes. Bluestreak had gotten some kind of flavoring in his – it was purple rather than electric blue – and was coming along further than Prowl, who seemed content with sipping his drink leisurely. Johnny, meanwhile, was still making headway on his basket of food.

"From the looks of it..." Bluestreak began casually, referring to himself, Prowl, and Johnny in that order. "Almost done, taking his time, a ways to go." He respectively pointed to each person as he spoke.

Johnny looked a little sheepish. "Yeah, I've got a, uh, lot left," he admitted. It was, after all, a big basket, although he was nearing the halfway point with it.

"I hope you realize that there's no need to force yourself to eat all of that now, Johnny. You can take your leftovers with you when you're done." Prowl said, casting a sidelong _look_ at his youngest brother, who'd ordered so much food to begin with.

Now it was Smokescreen's turn to look embarrassed. "Yeah, sorry about that, buddy. I got kind of excited."

The human shrugged in a 'no-harm-done' kind of way. "I'm almost finished, anyway." He looked up at the three Cybertronians gathered around him. "Where are we... we going next?"

"Well, what do you wanna do?" Bluestreak asked. "This is your fun day, kiddo. Wouldn't be right if you didn't get some say in it."

"We could catch a movie," Smokescreen offered. "I know there's a theater in here somewhere. Or we could hit the arcade – they've got these virtual reality systems that you wouldn't _believe_. Uh, there's a mini golf course on this level, or-"

"Smokescreen," Prowl cut him off sternly. "Don't give Johnny so many ideas at once. You'll overwhelm him."

"No, I'm fine," Johnny chuckled, although on the inside he _was_ feeling a bit swamped from all of the options. He doubted he'd ever tried half of the attractions that this mall had to offer. He'd never be able to make a choice without some guidance. "I just... need a list, or – or something."

Prowl quickly pulled out a datapad and tapped on it, servos ablur from his pace, before sliding it across the table to the young man. "Here is a list of attractions you can choose from. Just slide your finger up and down to make it scroll."

"And take your time. Seriously, bud." That last part came courtesy of Bluestreak.

Johnny looked down at the datapad – it was too big to physically pick up – and began to slowly scan its contents. He realized quickly that Smokescreen hadn't been kidding when he'd said that the Apastron Mall had the works; there was a movie theater with surround sound and 3D, a giant-sized LEGO store, a mini golf course and funhouse, an arcade boasting state-of-the-art virtual reality systems, and a ton of smaller stores between.

No wonder there were so many people here. With this much to do, you'd barely ever have to leave! The sheer volume of choices honestly made Johnny nervous – how could he choose if there were so many possibilities?

"Let's see..." he started slowly, eyes flickering upward toward Smokescreen and his brothers every few seconds. The boy couldn't help but feel as though he was holding them up, even if they'd instructed him to take it at his own pace. "Mini golf looks fun... not really in a, movie mood today... maybe the arcade..." He continued on at a leisurely pace as Prowl, unbeknownst to him, internally recorded all of his suggestions for later referral.

Suddenly, Johnny stopped scrolling, and the absence of movement didn't go unnoticed by the three Cybertronians. "What's up, Johnny?" Bluestreak asked. "You see a place you'd like to hit?"

"There's a music store," Johnny answered simply, lips curling up into an excited smile. Thank God – or Primus, or whoever. Something familiar! And it was something he loved so much. He wouldn't mind giving any of the other places a try, but it was nice having such a reliable and well-loved fallback as well.

Bluestreak just looked slightly deflated. "Really? The biggest mall in Iacon and a music store is your takeaway? Some people..." He muttered softly.

"An interesting choice, Johnny," Prowl commented, paying no mind to Bluestreak's jests. "Not many people I know would take such interest in an art like that. Do you only listen to music, or do you play as well?"

"I own a guitar," Johnny replied.

"And you sing!" Smokescreen chimed in. "Not a whole lot, but I think you've got a pretty good voice."

"But what about the arcade?" Bluestreak whined. "Or the golf course? Don't you wanna see any of the fun stuff, too?"

"Sure, just not yet," Johnny said. He was pretty sure Bluestreak was only pretending to be upset, which was good because it made sticking by his choice much more easy. "I'd just rather... start at the music store, that's all. Is that okay?"

" _Well..._ " Bluestreak pretended to ponder it before smiling. "I guess it couldn't hurt. Might find something worth the time there."

"Then we've got our game plan!" Smokescreen exulted, rising to his feet. He grabbed both of his brothers' empty energon cubes and ran them swiftly to the recycler, then made his way back with a box for Johnny's leftovers.

Prowl sighed. "Need I even remind you that we've yet to account for getting what we need for Johnny's room? It's only a matter of time before your training ends, and they'll be expecting you to have a suitable place for him to stay. Bluestreak and I don't have enough time to accompany you out like this on a frequent basis, you know." He sounded disapproving – perhaps not entirely unfairly.

"Hey, we'll get around to it, I promise," Smokescreen replied defensively. "But today's supposed to be fun, too. If everything goes to plan, you and Johnny are gonna be seeing a lot of each other. Best he gets to know you two now, and if he has fun doing it, even better. Trust me, I got the whole responsibility lecture from you _and_ Magnus. I don't want to have to hear it a third time."

Prowl was silent for a time as he processed this, but sighed in acceptance in the end. "I'll be holding you to that, younger brother. In the meantime, are you ready to leave, Johnny?" He turned and directed the question to the human, who was just finishing up cramming his leftovers into the box he'd been given. It was a tight fit, but he'd probably be able to get another meal or two out of it. "Yeah. We're going?" The boy asked.

"You know it," Smokescreen nodded. As Johnny walked out of his seat and toward him, the Autobot lowered his hand to the ground in front of the human. "Here, hop on, I'll carry you. No way I'm risking you getting trampled by these crowds." The young man climbed on without protest, and Smokescreen lifted him to his shoulder where Johnny disembarked and sat down, gripping his keeper's neck cables for stability. "I'm ready," Johnny spoke once he was sure he wasn't about to fall off anytime soon.

"Then let's get going. We've got a busy day to cover!" Smokescreen said, leading the way with his head held high.

His triumphant mood lasted all of ten seconds before he had to turn back and ask Prowl for directions, but the young Autobot took it in stride. No one said he had to get everything perfect right away.

* * *

The instant they were in the music store and Smokescreen had set him down, Johnny was off like a streak of light. Like most every other store in the mall, it was gigantic, filled from corner to corner with shelves of CD's in every genre, method books, and instruments and the supplies needed to maintain them.

In other words, Johnny's perfect definition of a happy place.

The young man weaved through the aisles as if he knew them by heart, scanning eagerly whatever he could set his eyes upon. He wondered if he could convince Smokescreen or his brothers to buy him a CD or two while they were there – there were quite a few out for sale that he wouldn't have minded owning. He didn't need to buy anything for his guitar – the strings were still in fine condition, and he had backups and extra picks if he needed them – but maybe he could get a method book as well. He could never have too many of those.

Picking out a couple of CD's – one modern rock, one classic rock – and holding them gently by his side, Johnny walked over to a nearby kiosk. A pair of headphones dangled from a holder jutting out of the front, and the touch screen boasted images of a number of recent albums from the past few months. Johnny slid the headphones on and searched the selection of music until he found a recording by a rock band he enjoyed. Pressing play, he closed his eyes and allowed the music to flow through him. The rapid guitar line sent electric sparks through his entire body. His heartbeat synchronized with the drums. The lyrics started a warm glow within his chest.

That was why Johnny loved music so much. Because it made him feel more than anything else he'd ever experienced. It shattered his doubts and the darkness in his mind and made him feel so much stronger than he truly was. Even if it was an illusion, and a fleeting one at that, Johnny loved that feeling of serenity that music provided him.

Sadly, his carefree reverie crumbled at the feeling of a forceful and insistent tapping on his shoulder. Johnny turned around to see a stoic-looking man with silver hair and eyes, clad in white shirt, long black pants, and silver jacket with a dark gold star on the front.

"Oh, uh, sorry. Did you, did you want a turn, mister?" Johnny apologized, pulling off the headphones and offering them to the man.

"It's me, Johnny," the man spoke in Prowl's voice. He jerked his head to the side, where Prowl stood out of the way of the other customers. The man was merely his holoform. "Don't run off like that. You could get hurt if we're not around to watch you." His voice was clipped and disapproving, and made Johnny feel small.

Johnny's gut shriveled, and his gaze fell back down to the floor. "I'm sorry," he said quietly. He hadn't meant to cause any trouble; he'd just been so excited that he'd lost track of himself. Thankfully, Prowl seemed to realize that, as his face became a little less hardened. "I realize that you're used to operating on your own, Johnny," Prowl began, trying to sound understanding – not that he wasn't entirely. "But my brother is taking you under his roof so that you no longer have to be on your own. And in some cases, such as this one, that means you can't go off by yourself without our permission."

"Sorry," Johnny repeated. He looked and sounded deeply forlorn – possibly on the verge of tears. Prowl knew then to back off; Johnny had learned his lesson, he was repentant. Letting him break down further would be cruel. So Prowl's holoform put on a warm smile and tilted the boy's head up gently with the side of a finger. "You seem to hold a great love for music, Johnny," the Autobot observed. "Why is that?"

A look of passionate excitement lit up Johnny's face, and Prowl could tell his mood was improving already. "It makes me feel good, inside," the boy said, with the warmth of a child evident in his voice. "It's quiet and lonely, lonely at my house, but when I put on some music it feels, um, feels like there's a lot more, there that wasn't there before. People, places, feelings... Does that make any sense?"

The holoform nodded silently, enjoying the sight of the boy opening up.

"And – and it's fun, to listen and to play it. It's like I'm creating something – something that wasn't there before, and that's such a great, great feeling. I..." He stopped suddenly and frowned. "Um, I'm sorry," he muttered.

Now Prowl was deeply confused. He frowned. "Why would you be sorry? You've done nothing wrong."

"But I..." Johnny stopped and exhaled in frustration. "My voice – I know it sounds strange. All broken and fractured. I just don't, I just don't want to annoy you with it."

"No." It was an immediate response, firm with a slight edge to it. The hairs on the young man's neck stood on end at the sound of it, and at the holoform's look of tempered anger. Prowl gripped Johnny's shoulders solidly, but spoke with a surprisingly soft and tender tone. "There is nothing wrong with your voice, Johnny. I think it sounds wonderful."

Prowl's words were the rough verbal equivalent of a smack in the face to Johnny. Nobody had... had ever told him that he even sounded good, let alone _wonderful_. Most people either mentioned his way of speaking in passing or left the conversation entirely because of it, if they even brought it up at all. A few said that it didn't matter, but that was always the best reception Johnny had received until now.

Johnny wiped away a tear and smiled brightly. "Thank you, Prowl. You really aren't as bad, as Smokey made you out to be."

Perhaps it was a testament to Prowl's character that his holoform's smile didn't waver in the slightest when he heard that. Not that he wasn't sorely _tempted_. "Is that so? Well then, what sort of things did my brother tell you?"

Johnny shrugged, not quite getting the vibe that the robot was giving off. "He said you were, a stick in the mud," he said plainly. "Not a bad person, but humorless, kinda cold. I was – was actually really scared to meet you after what he told me." The boy chuckled sheepishly. "I'm glad you're... not really that bad, Prowl."

Prowl's spark was warmed, even as he made a mental note to have a certain discussion with Smokescreen when the two of them were next alone. It couldn't hurt to be thorough. "My brother was hardly wrong, Johnny. I'm a serious mech," the mech in question spoke. "And I can indeed be quite frigid when the moment requires it. But I try hard not to act in that manner when I have no reason to do so. Please remember that, Johnny, the next time either one of my siblings tries to fill your mind with misinformation about me."

And then, bringing to mind a certain idiom about the devil appearing from nowhere, Smokescreen and Bluestreak strode up to the two. "Hey, guys! 'Bout time we came across you!" Smokescreen waved merrily. "Seriously, I can't believe this place is all for music. It's huge!"

"And very strange. Does your species really need this much space just to sell stored, processed noise?" Bluestreak asked. "No offense or anything, it just doesn't seem like a very fair trade to me."

At the deeply confused (and possibly somewhat offended) look on Johnny's face, Prowl took the moment to explain. "Music and the arts in general were never a major part of Cybertronian culture before the war, Johnny. The caste system largely forbade such endeavors. This-" He beckoned to the area around them. "-is a very human concept – familiar to your species, but quite alien to ours. Not that it's unwelcome or anything."

That... actually made some sense when Johnny thought about it. He didn't know a whole lot about Cybertron pre-war, but he'd definitely heard about the Functionist caste system. Your most natural altmode determined your life until the day you offlined. All dissenters were prosecuted, and the lucky ones were jailed while the unluckier ones went to meet Primus early.

It certainly went some length to explain why the store's present patrons were almost entirely humans – maybe Cybertronians had yet to fully understand and appreciate music. Or maybe they'd just come on a bad day. Whatever.

"Ooh, is that why Prowler's gone holoform?" Bluestreak asked, pointing down to the still-present projection of his brother. "To get a sample of what humans have to offer with this stuff?"

Before Johnny could explain, Prowl cut in. "That's correct. It was... surprisingly enjoyable." He flashed a secretive smile to his companion as his holoform dissipated; it was a quiet reminder of the chat he and Johnny had shared.

Smokescreen took notice of the CD's in Johnny's hand. "Hey, looks like you found something. You wanna buy those? My treat."

It took the boy a moment to realize what Smokescreen was talking about. "Oh, right! Yeah, I'd, I'd like that. Please."

"Right this way, then." The foursome made their way to the front of the store to buy Johnny's new souvenirs.

Bluestreak couldn't have been happier. "Primus, we're finally done here! Come on, I wanna see the arcade!"

* * *

Hours later, after the Cybertronians and their new human had finally gotten around to their shopping and had dinner, it was time to leave. They were all quite satisfied with their progress for the day, although none more so than Smokescreen. He'd secretly been worried that the stores would turn out to be lacking in what they sought, but those fears had proven to be immature, for they'd had no trouble whatsoever finding the furnishings that Johnny had requested for his new bedroom. They'd gotten a dresser for the boy's clothes, a bunch of bookshelves for any of the books that Johnny wished to carry over, and decided, after a great deal of debate, what color to paint the walls (dark blue, which suited Johnny fine, as he'd been sleeping in a cream-colored room for years and was ready for a change of scenery).

They'd even gotten some brightly colored bedsheets for Johnny to sleep in, although the young man had elected to move his old bed into his new place rather than buy a new one. He'd claimed that he was too used to sleeping in it to just stop. It was one of the only big things that Johnny had chosen to take with him when he moved in with Smokescreen and Bulkhead.

Which was just as well, honestly. While the two Autobots didn't entertain human guests as often as, say, Ultra Magnus, they weren't unfamiliar to the experience. Bulkhead and Miko still kept in close contact, and as she lived on Cybertron as well the two of them met up every now and then.

Sometimes that would entail the former rocker coming over for the day to shoot the breeze with her favorite Wrecker, and occasionally she'd bring her kids over. So Smokescreen and Bulkhead had long ago taken the liberty of purchasing some human-sized furniture: couches, a table, and so forth. They'd also had a few guest rooms built in, and Johnny would be taking over one of them – maybe even for good.

Compared to those kids – and Miko herself, of course – caring for Johnny would be a walk in the park, Smokescreen thought gratefully.

As the sun was sinking down beneath the horizon, the quartet stood in front of the gigantic mall structure, saying their goodbyes. "And your paperwork is coming along well, I hope?" Prowl prodded Smokescreen. "Are you having any difficulties I should help you address?"

Smokescreen waved his hand dismissively. "Nah, it's going along alright. It's boring as slag, but I'm powering through. Still, I'll be over the moon once it's all over." Suddenly, his face twisted into a pained look. "I hate having to send Johnny back to the youth sector, Prowl. Some of the kids pick on him. I wish I could just take him back home with me now."

To his surprise, Prowl actually smiled in response. "That's good, Smokescreen. Not that he's being bullied, but that you care about Johnny so deeply. It will serve you well once he starts to live with you. He'll need all of the affection you can give him, I believe." Prowl sounded sad, Smokescreen noticed, which was rather unlike him. Perhaps his brother had become closer to the boy than he had realized.

Well, no one said that was a bad thing. Smokescreen wanted his brothers to like Johnny.

"Is it like that with Terry?" Smokescreen asked – referring to his elder brother's godson. "I mean, the whole affection thing?"

Prowl considered that for a moment before responding. "Perhaps not as much as it could be. I care about Terrence a great deal, but he does fine on his own. That doesn't stop me from trying, of course," He said, finishing his statement with a chuckle.

Now he was laughing? Smokescreen's optics opened wide with alarm. "Okay, seriously. Who are you and where's my brother?" He asked, only half kidding.

Meanwhile, Bluestreak was a short distance away, having a deep and meaningful conversation with his new foster nephew. "But the thing to remember is, when you're in the sniper's nest, there's not a whole lot to do," he instructed to a partly interested and partly confused Johnny. "You never know exactly when your target's gonna come into your sights, so you need to keep an eye on the scope whenever you can. It's not a job for the easily bored, Johnny, my boy."

The human nodded. "I can't see you, doing that, Blue," he admitted.

The former sniper smirked. "Because I'm too energetic? Too upbeat?"

"Too nice."

Bluestreak was genuinely dumbstruck for a moment. "Oh, well... you know, I don't do it a whole lot anymore," he stumbled a bit, trying to save face. "I didn't really have a choice back then. War's kind of a kill or be killed sort of situation. But I'm happy where I am now. Racing's fun, and making people smile's a great feeling, Johnny."

"I... guess that makes sense," the young man nodded. "I sort of want to – make people smile too. It feels, it feels good."

Bluestreak smiled proudly, giving the human a pat on the head with a servo. "That it does, kiddo. That it does."

"Hey, you two. Having fun?" A voice cut in. Human and robot turned to see Smokescreen standing nearby, watching with a bemused look on his face. "Well, I hate to cut this short, but I gotta rush Johnny back to the youth sector. They'll kill me if I keep him out much longer."

Bluestreak sighed theatrically. " _Fine_. I guess you can have him back." He whipped back toward Johnny and spoke quickly. "But seriously, little man, keep in touch. Uncle Blue's always got time for family, you hear me?" Johnny nodded. "There's a good kid. Have a great night, okay?"

Prowl walked up to join them. "And don't forget, we're always here if you need our help. Our family looks after its own," he said firmly. "That is a _promise_."

There was an intensity in Prowl's eyes that Johnny couldn't ignore, but he couldn't bring himself to question it. "I understand. Thanks," he simply replied.

"Ready to hit the road, champ?" Smokescreen asked, looking down at his ward. A thumbs up from the boy sent the Autobot shifting back into car form, and Johnny slid in, waving a final goodbye to the other two mechs. They drove off, and the young man watched as Bluestreak and Prowl faded into the distance.

 _Uncles Blue and Prowler..._ Johnny tried the title out in his mind. To his pleasant surprise, it wasn't unwelcome. Too early, perhaps, by a considerable amount of time, but he could see himself using it for real in the future.

Either way, he'd had a blast with them today. He hoped deeply that he'd see them again soon.

"I take it you had a good time?" Smokescreen chirped. "You look like you've enjoyed yourself today."

"Yeah. It was really fun," Johnny said. "Blue and Prowl are, are really nice. I'm glad they're your brothers."

Smokescreen's spark burned with joy at Johnny's response. If he'd been in robot mode at the time, he was certain he would have picked the boy up and given him the biggest hug either one of them had ever experienced. "That's awesome, Johnny! Don't worry, if everything goes to plan, you'll be seeing plenty more of them in the future."

Johnny liked the sound of that, but before he could make that clear a sudden yawn erupted from his mouth. "Sorry, I'm kinda tired," he admitted.

The Autobot taking him home simply chuckled. "Makes sense, today's been a big day. Get some rest, Johnnytron. I'll wake you up when we're nearly there."

The boy went out like a light without so much as a breath of argument. Looking upon his prone form fondly, Smokescreen allowed his speed to drop – just a little at first, then a little more, and a little more. Before long, they was cruising through the city roads at a nice, unhurried pace. Smokescreen knew he'd have to give up Johnny once they made it back, whether he wanted to or not. The least he could do was make it last while he had the chance.

 **Next time, Johnny meets Bulkhead! Personally, I've been excited for that for a while now, and I hope you all feel the same. See you again, I promise!**

 **Tomorrow's Hero, signing out.**


	11. My Last Words: Author's Note and Thanks

**Hey, everybody. It's me.**

 **I'll get to the point; I can't keep working on this story. I'm so sorry it has to end this way, but it's been giving me grief for a long time now and I need to get over my sense of obligation and do what's right for me. I know there are people who've been looking forward to it, but I think forcing myself to keep going would be an injustice to them, to me, and to the story itself.**

 **Still, I've got some ideas as to how the story would have gone had I continued. I'll give you a rundown as concession.**

The next chapter or two would have revolved around Johnny and Bulkhead getting to know each other before Johnny moves in. It would have started out with Johnny at the youth sector, hanging out with a friend of his – a Cybertronian youth named Riptide. A problem child, Riptide's been in and out of foster homes for a long time now, and he's developed a wary and cynical view of people who claim to care about him. He warns Johnny not to put too much stock into what Smokescreen says, because he'll get rid of Johnny as soon as his imperfections become too much.

Bulkhead and Johnny go to watch lobbing, and neither one's quite comfortable with the other. Eventually, Johnny excuses himself to hide out in the bathroom and calls Josh, telling him what Riptide said and admitting that he's scared of letting Smokescreen and Bulkhead down – the latter doubly so, since he didn't get a say in having a foster kid around. Josh tells Johnny about how Josh himself was as a kid, and assures him that he doesn't need to be perfect as long as he tries to get along with them, and advises him to talk to Smokescreen about that if he's really worried (Johnny falls sick a while later, and it comes out then; he blurts it out while delirious with a fever).

Johnny moves in with Smokescreen and Bulkhead, and a short while later his old house burns down. Johnny's parents return in response to this, and Johnny finally gets an opportunity to call them out on how they've treated him over the years – which Smokescreen and the others join in on. Johnny's parents give him the apology he's been waiting for – admitting that while they do love him, neither was willing to give up on their careers – and promise to try and repair their relationship with him. Johnny agrees, although he makes it clear he intends to keep staying with Smokescreen and Bulkhead. While they're around, Johnny's mother visits Ultra Magnus and informs him of an investigation into a string of disappearances around Iacon – all of them human.

Without warning, Johnny and his parents are attacked by Sixshot, a Decepticon mercenary who manages to put Smokescreen and both of Johnny's parents in critical condition before being taken down. An interrogation reveals little, although Sixshot mentions the 'acolytes' before being taken away. Johnny, Josh, and Bluestreak all go on a trip to get out of the hospital, during which Johnny learns about Bluestreak and Prowl's abusive parents and how they fought to keep Smokescreen out of that same environment. A call comes back in; Smokescreen's recovered, but Johnny's parents are fading fast, and by the time they return it's too late to say goodbye.

At the funeral, Johnny's comforted by all of his friends and some of his parents' coworkers, including the governor that his mother worked for. When he, Smokescreen, and Bulkhead are alone, Johnny confesses that he feels "doomed to be miserable." Bulkhead rebuffs this, informing Johnny that his parents asked him and Smokescreen to take care of their son before they died, and they both fully intend to.

The story becomes a little more episodic from there as Johnny spends the next year with Smokescreen and Bulkhead, although the continuing disappearances are still brought up. Several character arcs begin:

Smokescreen, Bluestreak, and Prowl's grandfather Cable returns home from Earth on disability discharge, moving into a home far from any of his grandchildren. Johnny's intimidated by him at first (he's a lot like Magnus was when we first met him), but they establish a rapport, although Cable still refuses to let his grandchildren assist him, even with his injury. He eventually reveals to Johnny that he doesn't think he's good for much else besides combat, and having to ask for help makes him feel weak. Johnny and his family assure him otherwise, and he agrees to let Prowl and Bluestreak take him in.

Bastille (Johnny's teacher) drops by every now and then, triggering a hostile reaction from Bulkhead each time. He turns out to be Bulkhead's little brother from when they were both street kids. Bastille turned out to be very smart and talented, and he was taken in by a research facility to improve his mind further. Even so, he never stopped trying to help Bulkhead, even as the latter became a Bot of labor. When the war broke out, Bastille sided with the Decepticons, something Bulkhead has never forgiven him for, even though in the present day Bastille hopes to make amends. Bulkhead eventually agrees to give him a chance, but makes it clear he isn't forgiven.

Johnny joins Bulkhead's Mini Wreckers class at the latter's insistence and meets Allison Leddon, a serious young woman who protects him from a bully. As the two grow closer, Johnny learns that Allison has a complex home life; her stepfather is the ex-Wrecker Leadfoot, and she's never gotten along well with him. Furthermore, her biological father has begun sending her messages and genuinely trying to get to know her better. Johnny promises to be her solace, come what may, and they start to date.

And lastly, perhaps the biggest one: Bulkhead and Smokescreen begin a relationship. It begins when Smokescreen confesses to being a virgin and fearing the idea of interfacing (hence why his relationships never last. He ends them first.) Bulkhead offers to help him practice – being a Wrecker, he's used to playing it fast and loose with interfacing. Smokescreen's disturbed, but Bulkhead sets up guidelines for him and promises to make sure he's safe at all times. It goes well, and after a while Smokescreen goes out with another Bot, but realizes he's only interested in Bulkhead now.

Bulkhead's alarmed by this, and we get a look into his backstory with Breakdown: they were former Wreckers, and the two of them were very close (they never dated, but there was a spark between them). When Breakdown deserted the Autobots, Bulkhead viewed it as a second deep cut (the first being Bastille) and he isn't sure how to react to Smokescreen's confession. This time, however, Smokescreen assures _him_ that he'll feel safe, and they agree to take it slow for a while.

Sprinkled throughout these longer arcs are smaller, individual chapters such as Miko meeting Johnny, Johnny meeting the Wreckers at Maccadam's, Josh and Johnny hanging out, Johnny and Riptide playing some songs he wrote, and Josh and Lila meeting up again (and her gently telling Josh she isn't interested in a relationship, although they stay friends).

On Johnny's 17th birthday, he breaks down and admits to Smokescreen and Bulkhead that he's terrified that they'll forget him one day, long after he's gone (a fear he'd previously voiced to a few others). They assure him otherwise, and Johnny asks to be adopted.

In the climax of the story, Sixshot busts out of prison and kidnaps Johnny again, along with a number of other humans, taking them to the 'acolytes.' They turn out to be the Acolytes of Unicron, a cult worshipping the Lord of Chaos by slaughtering humans with "darkness in their souls" in hopes of becoming one with their master. (They view humans as being closest to Unicron due to Earth being his body, although they don't know about that – they aren't entirely sane, wouldn't you know.)

Mortilus, the head priest of the Acolytes, turns out to be the governor Johnny's mother worked for – he had her killed to cover up his alter ego and had Johnny kidnapped a second time because the time he spent with Smokescreen and his friends was "diluting" his inner darkness. Sixshot also turns out to have a son, Quickswitch, who the Acolytes had been keeping hostage to ensure his cooperation. Sixshot is mortally wounded, but unbeknownst to anybody manages to send the Autobots his coordinates – the coordinates of the Acolytes.

Johnny and the humans are marked with a ceremonial knife dipped in a lethal toxin, and quickly they begin to die. Johnny, however, holds out far longer than the others – though partly empowered by a dying vision of his parents – and the Autobots arrive with an antidote given to them by Sixshot. The Acolytes are killed and/or apprehended, and Johnny receives the antidote whilst on the brink of death, sending him into a coma.

A month passes. Johnny is still comatose, despite frequent visits from his friends and family, and Smokescreen is on the verge of despair. In Johnny's coma dream, he's in his old home with his mother and father (who may or may not be real, it's ambiguous). They show him a vision of his future – performing in a stadium before a cheering crowd – and tell him not to give up on life or family the way they did. After a little prodding, Johnny agrees, and he walks out the front door, waking up at last.

In the epilogue, Johnny's graduating alongside Josh, performing one of his songs as part of the ceremony. Everybody is well – Sixshot is alive and his son and Johnny are friends, Riptide found a home at last, Johnny and Allison are still happily together, Bastille and Bulkhead are on the mend, and Bulkhead and Smokescreen have become bondmates. After the ceremony, Johnny speaks with Bulkhead and Smokescreen, thanking them for all they've done for him. Smokescreen asks if he's gotten his happy ending yet, and Johnny says no – because he isn't the same Johnny as he was when Smokescreen made that promise. _That_ Johnny got his happy ending, but the present Johnny's story has just begun. Still, he admits, he can't imagine having an ending much happier than the one he's having now.

 **So that's about it. Honestly surprised at how much I got out of it. Hopefully you guys enjoy what you see. Maybe you could use it in your own stories.**

 **I really didn't want to give up on this; I'd been planning it for almost a year, and I wanted good things to come of it. And to be fair, some good has – it's given me the strength to accept my dream of becoming a published writer. Hopefully you'll see me in a bookstore someday. I already have a bunch of ideas I want to write up for real, and I was actually hoping I could work on those and this simultaneously. After several months of soul-searching, however, I think this would be the end result anyway. Holding out would just be trying to breathe life back into a corpse.**

 **Maybe I could come back to this someday – and that's a very hard maybe – but I don't want to be somebody who can only operate in other people's worlds anymore. I want to create my own worlds, worlds that other people would happily lose themselves in. Ever since I was a kid I've never had a really strong dream like that, but now I do. And I want to chase it with everything I have.**

 **This one's for all of you. Thank you all for sticking with me for this short journey. I wouldn't have kept going as long as I did if you hadn't been by my side.**


End file.
